And he hits it out of the park AGAIN :)

I had such an awesome Sunday this weekend. It made me feel so grateful to live in this lovely city and so lucky to have such a cool guy to share such fun times with and make me feel so special.

We began with a quick stop at a flash hotel to have a look at the view from the top. It was pure glamour and I tell you, I want to move in there :) Super beautiful. 

Ahhhhh I love it. The building has a long history in Auckland and I have vague memories of coming to this room for morning tea with my dad when I was little and it was still used as a canteen type of place. It's much prettier now.

I stopped into St Patricks to listen to the choir prepare for the service. I was a little disappointed (just a little though) to miss the service because from what I could tell the male choir leader was singing and his voice is just so amazing!  I lit a candle for my flat mate and all my hopes and dreams before I left.

After the hotel we went down to the seafood market at Wynyard quarter and absolutely destroyed our seafood platter for two and also a bit more beer than was probably good for us. It was fantastic and eating like that really lead to a great vibe. We were sharing and just going slow and enjoying the beautiful food. I love that restaurant and after chatting with the manager it sounds like there are some exciting things on the horizon for it that will mean it's going to be a top choice all year round and not just in summer like it is now. If you're ever in Auckland and looking for a great place to eat ... look no further.

HEHEHE this is how good the sauce on the muscles was. mmmmmmm He actually just beat  me to it. I would totally have had a go at the bucket if I thought of it first, I mean there weren't that many people around... 

Stolen from Mr's facebook.. I stopped taking photos by the time we got here :)

After spending hours and hours eating and drinking and sneaking in to watch the Warriors play on the big screen in the wine theater we strolled up to Ichiban Japanese restaurant on Albert street. It's a teeny little place with a whole wall of fun manga to look at while you eat. I have never quite got my head around graphics ( I know I suck) but these were really cool to flip through because they were all in Japanese. It just enforced my feeling that the best thing to decorate with is books!! I have no idea how we had room for any more food but I have to say that my curry went down very well indeed :)  I still prefer Ramen-Daikoku in Britomart for cheap Japanese but this was fun and absolutely value for money.

So. Awesome city + Awesome boy = Extremely happy me :)

xo

Pakuranga Night Markets

*Edit*

The main reason one goes to the night markets is for cheap and diverse food options. It's so fun and such a cheap way to eat out. LOVE IT. We were on the hunt for fried ice cream... yep you read that right! Hahahaha. Both boys love it and I was so curious to see how it would even look but alas the booth wasn't there last night. Still, we ate like kings. I had the best steamed red bean bun. Om nom nom. I prefer red bean over pork buns but it is like having desert for dinner.

What I really appreciated about the markets was the fact that the stalls had things I wanted to buy at a price point I could actually reach. I found so many necklaces and things I wanted to buy but I walked away with this one...

Something about this thing just took my fancy. It's totally weird and it's going to require the 'right' outfit ( which is obviously NOT this one! LOL - excuse the cleavage) but I just love it and I reckon I can be pretty sure nobody will have the same one :-)

We ended up spending 3 hours at the markets. I had such a great time and I 'd love to go back but given that it's quite far from my house ... aaand I don't drive I doubt it will happen any time soon. 

*more edits*

xo

Fancy-schmancy shopping!

Today, for the first time in my life I made a purchase at Smith + Caughey's on Queen street. It's the kind of store that really makes you wish hard you were made of money. I was salivating my way through the beauty department let me tell you.

This is my new boyfriend and my bit on the side. Sorry Mr-Mr I have found L.O.V.E in the schmancy tea isle. There is a serious addiction forming here! This stuff is divine and I want to go back and try the choco-coconut flavour and pumpkin spice. Just have to get rich LOL

I do have to say that the mannequins below really put me off. How creepy are they! OMGawsh and they're kind of offensive. Why on earth would you display clothing presumably for human women on mannequins shaped like aliens? I will never understand high fashion if that's what this could be described as.

xo

Caffeine withdrawal is a bitch

I've been feeling like a zombie with a sore head for the last 4 days or so and it only hit me last night that what I was experiencing was in fact caffeine withdrawal! How embarrassing but stopping coffee has pretty much sent me to bed for days!!! I gave in and brewed a pot tonight ... which I've enjoyed with some Tia Maria and now I feel so much better hahahaha 

The coffee has had to go because I've been finding that it's making me feel really gross. I just end up with so many things not right after a cup of coffee that in the end it's better to forgo that pleasure. I am now trying to be a tea queen. I miss the creamy hot drinks so much so this is a really hard transition. I completely understand that's very much a first world problem but it's my reality for now and it's sucking :(

Today I spent hours under a tree in the local reserve trying to let the fresh air and calm do it's thing on my foggy head. It really didn't help AND I think I got sunburned but while I was there I shot a lil silly vid for my Mr.Mr. I had been thinking I wanted to see what real speed reading would look like LOL

I'm currently reading "Crazy Rich Asians" by Kevin Kwan. It's pretty fun so far :)

xo

Dogmatic on Queen Street

Yesterday I was between buses and sooooo hungry so I decided to check out the flash hot-dog place at Britomart because ... well really because I couldn't come up with a better alternative.

It's a cute little deli type place that has signs up saying 'standing room only' and 'keep calm and eat hot dogs'. Some tables during summer time at least would be pretty cool but that's a hellishly busy little bit of footpath so I bet the council would either flat out say no or charge an arm + a leg + a new born from every staff member who ever worked there for the privilege and thus the deli takeaway situation...

The hot-dog I chose was ... actually I have no idea of the name but it came with coleslaw and cheese. It normally has BBQ sauce but that's just nasty so I took that shit OFF! LOL.  It was so weird to read the menu and see mashed potato as a key ingredient of some of the hot-dogs!

Here's what it looked like and no it didn't come pre-bitten I just decided to review the place after I'd already taken a bite hahahaha. I was in a bit of a time crunch as, like I said, I was between buses so I ended up speed eating a sausage in public! Ba-hahahahha it was very sexy :-P

Overall I wont be back. It's a cute place and I like the premise. I even enjoyed the hot-dog whilst I inhaled it BUT it's wildly overpriced. That thing was $9.80! It's really good quality ingredients and ... you know all of the requirements from newborn children from the staff and all but I still really felt super ripped off. I was dying for a coke but $3.00 for a can? I don't think so sista! The service was just average and the experience was a bit of a let down all in all. Also I ended up with some nasty green crap all over my hand while I was waiting... I think it was relish or I hope it was!

Of course it's all personal opinion but I don't think these guys will last at that price point. If they were selling the hot dogs for perhaps $6.00 people might be more enthusiastic and the kids who mill around the precinct after school (and during the day) might splash out. They're nice enough that people might come on their lunch breaks but they're not $9.80 nice and especially because they do NOT in any way constitute a whole meal. In the food court I can get a massive kebab or rice meal WITH A DRINK for only about  a dollar more and it will be all the food I need for a day. Their hot dogs just do not compete. Nice as they are.

xo

Friday night is but a drunken haze of awesomeness

It's summer time and as I am currently... between appointments... I've been enjoying myself like crazy. Last night my friend Janelle and I went to Wynyard Quarter and had a fabulous drink (or two) in the sun at the fish market and then an AMAZING-Send you to church- Best food EVER dinner at Miss Clawdys. I mean ... seriously the person who thought of combining rhubarb and pear cobbler with rum eggnog is a freaking genius! WOW

I 110% recommend the wonderful Miss Clawdys with awesome drinks and better food all in a cool restaurant with a great vibe. GO GO GO!!!

The cocktail list all sounds good so for that reason alone Ima go running back! LOL I want to try all of them! I had the punch (pictured) which was delicious and a hurricane which was fine but not amazing.

The desert was the hi-light of my week. SO.DAMN.GOOD

of course, being summer the night markets are on at Silo Park. They were a fantastic place to clear our (read my) drunken haze and full tummies. I always enjoy the markets and actually purchased something this time. Loving my little skull bracelet. Great for summer and weirdly my first skull purchase.

Even though I've spent the day recovering I had an awesome time and totally recommend both beers at the fish market and dinner at Miss Clawdys. The whole precinct is just bursting with awesome and more is coming all the time. 

Just one more awesome thing about this city :)

xo

 

Fashion and Hello Kitty... all in one morning!

This morning I caught up with a friend I haven't seen for a while. She's been busy moving to the other side of the city and getting employed and such while I've been hanging out reading a lot... LOL

We went to the Auckland Museum to see their 'Selling Dreams' fashion photography through the years exhibit. I really liked it but nothing compares to the 'Who shot rock and roll' exhibit from the Art Gallery last year :) There are some pics from the museum below. I even took a couple of snaps of my fave photos before I noticed the no photography sign. Apparently it's a copyright thing so I wont load them up here even though they rock! I don't know if I would recommend a special trip for this exhibit but certainly check it out if you happen to be at the museum. It's cool but not large enough to really justify paying for it I don't think.

After that we went to the pinkest cafe in the history of the world... seriously I could have got myself a dose of diabetes just by looking in the window! Actually it's pretty cute and if they put a little more effort into the details they would have an A-MAY-ZIng little cafe. As it stands I would love to host a 6 year old girls birthday there :) The coffee was pretty good and of course they have super cute templates for decorating. The wedges were amazing. Really perfectly cooked. I just think that if they made it a little more luxe by focusing on little details like the cheesy little stickers on the walls and the cheap white plates they put the coffee mugs on then it would elevate them a lot. I'm also obviously a terrible person but I found it quite off putting that the staff were all male.... I don't know. They were perfectly lovely and good at what they did but it just felt kinda wrong. I know... off to sexist jail for me but .... really??

I'm not gonna say anything about that chair ... it was pleasantly firm... bwa-hahahahaha :-P  The collage is sadly not as clear as the photos are individually but the idea is to showcase how crazy awesome I am at having my photo taken!! hahahaha I have the dumbest look on my face in every one of them. I hardly look like I brushed my hair! LOL.  It just makes me laugh :-)

x

Federal Delicatessen and Montreal Poutine!!

A couple of weeks ago my friend Hue was so excited to let me know that she'd found somewhere that was selling poutine. Ever since I returned from my year in Canada in February 2010 I've been missing the stuff. I mean it's kinda gross and really a heart attack on a plate but it's just soooooo tasty and holds a ton of fab memories for me. I especially used to love hitting up the Dairy Queen that was behind the library I worked in for cheap poutine and an iced tea the size of my head. Good times!

The restaurant in question is the Federal Delicatessen. It's a gimmicky little New York style (I assume) place opposite the Sky Tower. From the waitresses uniforms to the menu it's all about 50's fun.

 

The menu is very Jewish with Kosher this and that. It just screams tasty. I wanted to eat almost everything on the menu. Sadly my food intolerance meant that I was pretty restricted. Sometime I will go back and just carpe diem and eat the damn cheese! hahahahaha yesterday though it was all about memories....

May I present ... dum da dum.. Montreal Poutine!!!! yaaaaayyyyyy!!!!! :)

This delightful little concoction is fries, gravy and cheese curds. It doesn't look so amazing but it's seriously tasty. I would say that the Federal Deli did a pretty admirable job with recreating the awesome but not perfect. It just wasn't... heart attack-ey enough! LOL. I think if they'd presented it in a bowl and been a bit more generous with the gravy and the cheese then it would have been almost perfect. For me the flavour of the cheese wasn't quite right either but that's probably a personal preference type of thing. I really remember the curds being a very mild sort of flavour and these ones were quite intense by comparison. Still.. this was great! I will absolutely order it again but next time I'll try one of the amazing looking sandwiches or mash dishes. This really is my kinda place! 

Remedy Coffee

I went into Remedy Coffee this morning and it's just so cute that I had to do a quick post. The cafe is on Wellesly st, just off Queen.  It's such a friendly and relaxed place and not only do they have some of the best if not THE best coffee in the city but also a wall of books in the book exchange. There are novels and graphics and even board games to play while you dine. The best compliment I can give them is they remind me so much of The Library bar sans the booze ;)

Sorry random stranger. I was going for a shot of the walls I promise :)

Best looking coffee nook. Would be great to sit with a book 

X

It's SPRING and I'm loving some things :)

Hell YES! Woooo it's spring time here in the Big Little City. It's come so fast that a lot of the trees and insects and things that kinda live by spring are all confused. I think that must have been the .. smallest (?) winter on record. It just had such little impact, a couple of colder days that required a hat.. a little bit of rain here and there but over all it was warm, dry and FAST. Many of those confused trees have been in flower for weeks!!

I am currently sitting about 2 months away from finishing my course at University. I mean how fast has this year gone?? I can't believe that these months have flown by because it has really seemed to be interminable while I've been struggling through them. I have come to really hate being a university student. I love being in the class, working with the kids but as far as my classes at uni and the way they're run... I CAN NOT WAIT till they're done. I just...  I don't even know how to express how much I am looking forward to walking out of that place and not going back!

First LOVE. Last night I celebrated my friends birthday at Orphans Kitchen in Ponsonby ( ... and Long room it must be said). I don't have any pics because we'd already been at Long room for a while before we got to dinner ( .... lol) and we were having a lot of fun so taking pics wasn't high on my list of things to think about.  The place has only been open a couple of weeks so my trendy friends were hot to get there asap given the amazing reviews that they've been getting all over the place. I was a little baffled when I saw the menu ... I didn't really understand a lot of it. I mean a margaritas and nachos at the Mexican place in Mission Bay (Dos Amigos) is how I normally get down for a celebration and this was remarkably more intense and 'foodie' than that. I decided that my friend should just order for me. she did and it was so A-MAY-ZING I was reduced to a drunken pile of 'omagawd omagawd' as I chowed down on the BEST gnocchi in the world and a spectacular version of a banoffi pie. Along with some yummy red wine that I would NEVER have decided to drink on my own. So in conclusion FOOD n WINE = Indescribable. I mean how many times can you say amazing and ohmygawd before it ceases to really mean anything (... OK I know ohmygawd doesn't really mean anything) ATMOSPHERE = really very conducive to having a great time and SERVICE = so friendly and actually pretty fast I thought given the overwhelming crowd they were dealing with. I think my friends who go to 'proper' places a lot had a couple of things that they noticed could maybe be improved. I don't know what they were but even my friends enjoyed the over all experience so much they didn't care.  So yes, Orphans Kitchen is the first thing I'm loving right now. I was so serious... chef Tom, if you are single and straight MARRY MEEEEEEEEEEEE :P

The second thing I'm loving is the Infernal Devices series by Casandra Clare. I heard that it was better than the Mortal Instruments series and as it's the prequel I decided to start with this series. LOVING IT. I am totally getting the collective swoon of book nerds around the world for Jem. *SIGH* Great writing, I love the way that the action grabs me and I am literally swearing out loud when I'm surprised by something. All of the best books make you react out loud :)

I got my hair cut a couple of weeks ago and I finally got around to taking a pic and posting it up yesterday. I'm kinda in two minds about it. I do like it but it's quite different and I don't know that it expresses 'me' very well but maybe as I get older I'm no longer the messy curls person .. I don't know.  I predictably got a lot of nice comments on Face Book. You have to love your friends for that right? Problem is that they're friends and they have to be nice. I asked a guy I know who I wouldn't count as a friend for his opinion on the way girls wear their hair to try and get a bit of balance... and I was kinda curious. I am not the girl who is going to do something like cut my hair to impress a guy but it's still interesting what they find attractive collectively. Well the dude was so useless!! He told me he likes my curly hair (which this is NOT lol) but had no idea what I was talking about otherwise. HAHAHAHAHAHA poor thing, just so easy to bamboozle. Oh well, I guess it's not like I can put it back on my head so his opinion or lack there of is pretty irrelevant. :)

LASTLY. I've noticed one tag or link up or what ever on my blog roll a lot recently and while I'm not going to link up I thought I might finish this post with a reduced version of "the songs that define me". I've given it some thought and here are my top 10 all time favorite songs ever... in no particular order... 

1. For the people - Nesian Mystic

2. Spin One - Aradhna + Che Fu

3. So True - The Black Seeds

4. Waka - Che Fu

5. Slow Jams - Baby Face + Tamia

6. The rest of my life - Brian McKnight

7. Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

8. Arithmetic- Brooke Frasier

9. Get Me Bodied - Beyonce

10. History in the making - Darius Rucker

:-)

I love how many of them are Kiwi artists. I didn't realise how much I love New Zealand music until I started to think about this list. Some honorable mentions are : Red Camero by Rascal Flatts, Faithful by Brooke Frasier, Around the way girl by LL Cool J, Whenever You Call by Mariah Carey and Brian McKnight, Jumpin Jumpin by Destinys Child and I'm ready by Tevin Campbel. 

Gettin my health on ...

Today I did... NOTHING towards getting my butt into gear and getting my health on. In fact I would say I did the opposite. I currently feel gross and my meals today were a joke! It's not rocket science now is it. Rubbish in Rubbish out! - I did however have some of the protein powder in a drink for breakfast ( I HAD BREAKFAST! Go mE!!). It's not horrible, it's quite palatable even but the taste is still lingering... and its pea. mmm 

I also picked up a script that I'd forgotten I even had waiting. The lovely peeps at the pharmacy called me to remind me it was sitting there :)  check it out, months and months of easy breathing for the bargain price of $5.00! SWEET 

I've been reading a few blogs to try and find some motivation from other peoples journeys and some of the best ... or some of my faves at least are Jessica at Lovely Little Things  and Jana at Perception is everything.  

Neither of these blogs are exactly health & fitness blogs but they're both ladies who have that glow that I'm after and who work hard on choosing a healthy life. They're both a bit younger than me but I'd still love to be friends with them :) -check em out!

x

Taking Chaaaaaarge :)

Today is Thursday which means.... only ONE DAY of holiday left :( such a bummer and I am really really not ready to go back to university. It's probably a good thing though because I can feel myself becoming very good at being a sloth! I am actually guilty of napping during the day! NONONONOOooo that wont do. I haven't gone so far as to turn the television on before the 6pm news but it's just about that bad!

Queen B announced another show today.. .I think that I'm just gonna do it. If I am able to get a ticket I'm going to see the damn show. Who cares about a life of debt. At least it's only a couple of months till I can get a job and at the end of the day its freaking BEYONCE! Hopefully a friend will come with me but I will be more than happy to go alone :)

Over this break I have done a bunch of things including thinking about what my life is going to be like once I am finally free from the shackles of Auckland University (I know, dramatic, but I really really dislike it!).  I've been day dreaming about small luxuries like a magazine subscription and getting my hair coloured. I have been looking at apartments to rent and online shopping for the most amazing wardrobe. I'm deciding which coffee machine I will buy and what I will put in my booze cupboard... you know all the important things :)

Apart from that I have also been going a little deeper and thinking about how I want to live and how I will choose to be a 'single, professional woman in the city' LOL. The first move that I have made is to decide that it's finally time for me to take control of my health a little more than I have. These days it feels like food hates me, so today I started the journey to figure out why. I visited a naturopath and she is going to do a bunch of research and try to figure out what might be my problem and how I might fix it. What seems pretty clear is that if I ever want to be that happy shiny girl walking down the street that  looks like she's lit from within I have a hell of a journey to take.

I'll have to wait and see what Penny comes up with but from our conversation today and my own experiences it seems like a vegetarian/vegan diet is on the cards along with a crap load more exercise. I have years and years of neglect to make up for! I know from my brief forays into the world of exercise that a hard workout really suits me so I need to get on that as well. I'd like to join a gym but that will have to wait till after graduation. Till then it's gonna be up to me to find alternate ways around the issue and alternate motivation.

I may, from time to time blog this journey because it's really something that is going to seep into every moment of my life over the next few months. I might have to learn to cook *gasp*. Aside from the physical things there are also the spiritual paths to tread. This might be in the form of throwing myself into the available arts scene a lot more, it might be new books or music I just don't know. I love the idea of religion but honestly I don't think that is going to be for me. It's pretty impossible to change a lifetime of ardent atheism. ;-) 

The first thing to do in these confusing situations of course is to ask myself WWBD??? and the answer is of course... WORK HER ASS OFF AND GET THE DAMN JOB DONE AND BE AWESOME WHILE SHE DID IT!!!!  So, I shall aim to follow her example and turn my laser , big picture focus on and get the job done.

x 

The construction next door forced me from my house!

This morning I was rudely torn from my dream ( dramatic much? LOL) by a group of young men in black hoodies! Nope not marauding criminals but BUILDERS!! First they're 'chatting' with each other outside my window and then the concrete grinder/skill saw starts. I was moved to google 'construction laws in residential areas' but sadly they where within them. So in a somewhat less than perky mood I went into the city to get my Library books and generally just ... not be at home listening to machinery.

'Have a nice day' is from cafe 'Federal and Wolfe'. I've heard about the place on random web sites ect and all to rave reviews. I don't know if it was the builders fault ( ie I just wasn't in the mood) but I wasn't blown away. Must also admit I didn't sample the menu just having a coffee and banana bread while I read some of my hilarious book. I found both to be good but not exceptional. The service again was fine but if anything slightly dismissive. Perhaps I'm not the customer they're after?? I don't know. Wouldn't want to project. It was  trying a little hard and not really getting there for my taste but then all the willing punters cant be wrong. It's obviously to some peoples taste. Perhaps on another day when I can stop for lunch or something.....

The Crown has become one of my fave places in downtown. I've actually only been twice but it's a really good place to go for a civilised and not pretentious glass of wine or beer after uni. Occasionally I get off my first bus and just feel like having a drink before I get on the second one to go home. The Crown is all warm and cozy inside with plenty of tables. It's the perfect mix of people and doesn't make a song and dance about how 'cool' it is. I think that being slightly out of the Britomart precinct is maybe a good thing. It's hard to find a place that I can head to alone and feel comfortable but this is it for sure. 

lil bits

This weekend has been eventful ... and kind of not. Such a strange sort of couple of days. Yesterday I had to give a eulogy for my Aunt. She passed away from cancer last week. That's now the third time that I have stood up for a family member. I do it because I can. I actually like public speaking so there's that. I'm done now though thank you universe!!!!!

After the funeral I went out for a terrible Thai dinner with my family. The food was actually pretty good BUT the service was non-existent. I guess, living close to the CBD I am used to places that have to work hard to give their customers a complete service or risk them going next door to spend their money. It's not such a problem when there is less competition. I have to say that I am so used to good or at least OK service that I loose it pretty quickly when I don't get it. I bring the bitch!! LOL When I was down on the coast with my mum I had to bite my lip soooooo hard to avoid looking like an Auckland D-Bag when I had to wait about 20 minutes for two coffees in an empty cafe. That was a real test of my self control but the pace of life and peoples expectations are different down there so while the guy was insanely slow I would have only made myself look bad if I said anything to him. At least he was a really sweet guy :)

Today the weather has turned to custard so it's all about television. This afternoon I watched the new eps of Ice Road Truckers that I missed. OMG I love that show!!! I'm a bit bummed that Jack Jesse isn't on the roster for this season. He rocked my world but it is cool that they're splitting it between Canada and Alaska so I can get a bit of a weekly fix of Canadian accents :)

The Canadian Truckers. How cool are Alex and Hugh?? I want them to be my grandfathers :)

Today was also the return of Heart of Dixie!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE this show. It's perfection with the southern drawls, great clothes and awesome music all set in the lovely little picturesque town of Blue Bell. It's so nice to have something that is a bit wholesome and simple lovely fun. So happy it's back on but I just wish that it was in a different time slot.

x

City Works Depot - Dry & Tea and The Great Gatsby

Today I went into the city to take advantage of my free movie ticket. I had planned to see the Melissa McCarthy + Sandra Bullock release 'The Heat' but it only came out today and apparently my ticket was only good for movies 2 weeks old or more... mmmyeah. Ok. So I decided to finally see The Great Gatsby.  Soooooo glad I did. I completely fell for Gatsby and Daisy. The scene in Nicks lounge where they meet again for the first time was so perfect :) Have to admit though that I did close my eyes *cough - fall asleep - cough*..... It was a beautiful and exciting movie but sadly I just don't think that even Baz Lurman could overcome that story. It's a bit of a snooze. Never the less I still wanna be Carrie Mulligan. She is so damn beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the CLOTHES. OMG THE CLOTHES :-)

While I was waiting for the later than anticipated movie time I strolled up town to try and track down the City Works Depot which seems to be the home of all of the new and exciting cafe's and such in the city.  When I got there it was a little bit intimidating for all of its 'cool' AND I really wasn't hungry so I went into the Dry and Tea tea house for a pot of 'Buddhas Tears'. 

It's all very new and girly and very fancy but despite the fact that I definitely enjoyed my tea and the place is lovely it was a little underwhelming. The shop is so small that it feels like more of a takeaway place. I sat in one of their teeny booth seats while I had my pot of tea but it wasn't particularly comfortable. The selection of tea was a bit average for somewhere calling themselves a tea house. I was hoping to have a long list of exotic teas to chose from but while really nice they were pretty limited and very standard. The tea cups and the tea timer were pretty ... the prices were good ( $5.50 for a 3 cup pot) , the little cakey thing that was on my spoon was out of this world..   I don't quite know what else to say. It was nice but I wouldn't go there if I was with another person and it's not in a very central location so for now this will probably be my only visit.

X

University holiday week one :)

I returned last night from a week away. It was spent between my sisters home and my mothers and I have to say it was sooooooo relaxing and low key but I really had a good time. While at my sisters I spent the time hanging out with my nephew, getting to know him a little because I don't get to see him very often and when I was at my Mums it was about teaching. I got to go to her school and spend some time with her class. Whodathunk that teaching hyperbole to 12 year old boys could actually be fun? well I will admit that the class is unique but they were lovely and really good to me. I LOVED my time there.

I left Auckland on Saturday morning and WOW it was a lovely day. I always realise how much I love this city when I'm in town early on the weekend and if it happens to be a gorgeous day well I'm sunk :)

The bus ride to Hamilton was amazing. The beautiful weather just highlighted how lovely my country is. Everywhere was so green and peaceful and picturesque. My old dream started to come alive but then I reminded myself exactly how much I would suck at being a farmers wife and came back to reality hahahahah

Our first stop was the bumps n babes show at the event center. As far as a review of the show goes I am really not your girl. I am not at all into babies and the baby paraphernalia bored me so fast. I will say that as far as my experience and learning about children and development and parenting goes I did find it all a little frustrating. It seems like being a new or expecting mother/parent is such a hard and scary time that to have so much ideology and one sided information thrust down your throat must make it really hard to figure out what works for you and how you want to bring your child into the world and how you want to raise them.  From an outsiders perspective it seems like this sort of event and all of these exhibitors with such agendas are  anti mother/parent  and contribute heavily to things like post natal depression and the overall terror that comes with the sudden burden of full control of a human life.  But maybe that's just me and I have no kids so what do I know. Anyhow the photo above is of the baby racing.... HILARIOUS!! best part of the show :)

That night we went to the Hamilton Night Markets. SO COOL. It was really awesome. I would say that Hamilton kick Auckland's butt in this respect. Seriously it was a busy and well managed evening. The markets were probably about 70% food stalls with a bit of craft and a bit of veges and a few psychics thrown in for good measure. The thing that really impressed me was the variety and the fact that the prices were so good. You could get a $1 lamb skewer at one stall then wander along to the next for a $2.50 pork bun and finish with a $2 pancake. AWESOME. We had a beautiful evening and it was sublime to stand outside under the stars and inhale the smell of the wood fires for the Hangi and Jerk Chicken and smoked fish. Ahhhhh it was such a worthwhile reason to leave the house and if you're ever in Hamilton on a Saturday evening with nothing to do you should definitely hit up the night markets!!

My sister and I (and my nephew in the front pack) - AND  THE PORK BUN!! MMM

After that i went to spend a few days with my Mum and her kids. A great experience practicing my running records and teaching the senior students about hyperbole and making them write poetry! HAHAHAHA they loved it (kinda LOL) and wow did they come up with some great poems. One of the students was extremely gifted and it was so interesting to chat with him. I would love the challenge of teaching someone like him even though I would say he's smarter than me. It was kind of funny when I asked him what he wanted to do in the future and he instantly replied 'Hairdresser'..... really?? LOL. I mean I am quite aware of how technical that job is and how hard but it was such a strange choice for someone who potentially has the world at their feet :)

After school time it was back to Hamilton for a couple more days. We didn't do much as we are all very poor and with a 6 month old and all. Still it was lovely with lots of coffee and walking around the awesome Hamilton Gardens and attempting but failing due to the weather to get around their lake. I will take a second to say that I will give a huge FAIL grade to the cafe at the Hamilton Lake. They are extremely over priced and glacial with their service. Their food is edible but crazy average and the cafe is uncomfortable and hard to navigate, especially with a stroller. I will honestly never spend money there again. AWFUL place.

The last thing of note is kinda boring but highlighted something to me. I chose a couple of DVDs for my last night. Firstly "the silver linings playbook" and secondly "The perks of being a wall flower". I had read both of these books a wile ago and while I really enjoyed the wallflower movie I was very disappointed with The silver linings playbook. It just goes to show how people can be either book people OR movie people. I am a book person and there are very few times that a movie has bettered or even equaled the book. I would argue that The Perks of being a wall flower worked as a movie because the author controlled the script etc. I have grave fears for The Fault In Our Stars movie. John Green you should keep your hand in there!

So now for two more weeks of holiday!! WOOT WOOT.

I have a few plans but basically it's wide open. I hope to get to the art gallery for their new exhibit, to the movies for monsters university and before midnight, if I ever decide what I want I will get a hair cut and I also want to go to the Rekorderling Cider pop up bar :) add in a ton of reading and relaxing on the beautiful minke blanket my mum got for me AND a touch of yoga and I should be heading into semester two ready to roll.

Those Red Vines were a further entry into my list of awful American food to try. Have to say they are the most revolting thing that has EVER been in my mouth. OMG so gross. I had to force myself not to spit it out. EEWWWWWWWWW -even worse than peeps!

Why I will never eat fizz wizz again

These little bastards ruined my day!!!

Turns out that Fizz Wizz has lactose in it. Whodathunk?

I tossed them back before I left the house this morning and then I was halfway to my destination and WOOSH - reaction.

I missed out on an important thing for school and made myself look so stupid because I had to ask someone I barely know to drive me home :(

What a waste of a gorgeous autumn day 

Damn You Fizz Wizz

Yep. Today I called an old man a jerk.

Yep. So much for keeping it classy. Today I was sitting in my favourite cafe at the bottom of town just about to tuck into my post math test treat and I get engulfed in clouds of smoke.

It's one of my major bug-bears with people. If you want to smoke that's your decision by MY decision is not to SO don't be so selfish as to negate my choice by blowing your disgusting second hand poison all over me. Just THINK for a second about where you sit and where you blow that crud. 

I am certainly not very proud of the fact that I made a big deal about picking up my things ... including a full coffee and moving out of my awesome armchair in the sun to the other side of the open space at a table in the shade and called the man a jerk as I passed. He was being a BIG JERK but I wasn't particularly grown up or classy either. I think I made other people a little uncomfortable so how embarrassing is that! UGH

Number one cafe on Queen street is awesome. I love the staff there and the coffee rocks and the music is generally outstanding. I would love to pinch their Ipods! BUT they have no alternative to sit apart from the smokers and this is such a pain in the ass. It happens ALL THE TIME so perhaps I need to find a new fave place to enjoy my caffeine for every body's sake. *SAD FACE*

Or you know ... find out where they sell those mythical chill pills.

Two marathons on one day...

Today my American friend and I visited Martha's Backyard which is a store  that stocks American junk food as you can see in the pic of my haul above. There was also a lil packet of Cheetos .... 

It's not that we don't have good junk food here but some of these things hold special memories. I had a most inappropriate reaction to a box of Cinnamon crunch cereal the first time I went there after I got back from Canada. I miss sitting watching a movies with a dry bowl of those things! I think that's the appeal of most of this stuff. The memories attached. I mean North America you make some disgusting junk food! LOLOLOLOLOL

We took our sugar and chemicals home and had a Gilmore Girls marathon. Well it was only 4 episodes but awesome none the less. I still love every episode of that show. Though it's amazing how much time can amplify how annoying Loralai was. I mean Love the woman but gees she needed to get a grip!

 ;P

The best comfort food on a rainy evening

I am so amazingly happy that it's Friday night! Wow this has been a long week and I have to say it's a wee bit scary how much of a blur that it's been. This course is so overwhelming! My Gosh it's so all encompassing that it's hard to take a breath at times. Still we're almost half way done .. WOOHOO!

The weather has turned and while it's still warm pretty much we have RAIN. LOL after the long drought it's hard not to enjoy it ... just a lil bit. This time of year is when I start to enjoy food again! winter food is awesome and my fave thing to do is hop off my first bus at the central transit station and head to Ramen Daikoku where they sell fast and tasty Japanese fare. 

I have no idea what they do but those Japanese chefs have some kinds of awesome alchemy. The meat is so amazing and to this day I have no idea what they do to the deep fried things that stops them being oily! It's all sooooooo good. I love this restaurant because they are so fast and it's hard to find such delicious food in such good portions for the price in Auckland. I really enjoy the Karaage Don and the Katsu Don but at this time of year I crave a bit of this

Curry and rice. MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm Oh So Good and served in such a portion that you don't need to eat anything else that night. It's cheap and to top off all the awesome you don't eat it with chop sticks.

:-)