Playing Airports

I have a friend who is a very successful owner of an international airline. He's very hands on, selecting all new craft, designing routes and choosing airports. He has designed the branding, colours and logo, and makes the tricky decisions that balance customer experience with pricing to ensure full planes. Of course, he does all this through the use of a computer simulation game, but I doubt Richard Branson puts in as much thought. I have a strong feeling those who work within the Interislander Ferry organisation all have a similar fascination with air travel, and are really frustrated pilots and cabin crew, immigration and customs officials. They play the role, in the same way children set up shops or doctors clinics and open for business.

"Tickets, please."

Checking in for the ferry looks much like an airport check in, but with none of the security. No ID or proof of ticket purchasing is required, just say a surname that is on the list and the boarding pass is yours. Someone named Martin Harper came very close to losing his tickets to my travelling companion before we remembered we had actually booked in my name. It was possibly pure luck that no other Collins or Collins impersonator hadn't already collected our tickets before us.

Then on to baggage check in. Anyone can heave a suitcase on the counter, where it is given a tag and the owner a small proof of ownership ticket. No one will ever ask to see this baggage check again, nor indeed will they even check that the owner of the bag is actually travelling. It seems to me that the most cost effective way to send items across the Cook Strait would be to pop it into the baggage at one end and arrange for a friend to meet it at the other side, approximate cost - zero. It's here at baggage check- in that we see the another interesting aspect of airport role play.

Does a ferry leaving Picton ever unload passenger luggage anywhere other than Wellington? Has a bag ever mysteriously arrived in Auckland at sailing's end, necessitating much clearer labelling? The barcode does match my wee ticket, but we know no-one will check this at the other end, and the other end is always Wellington if one sails from Picton, and vice versa. But it all makes the staff look very busy, efficient and important - just like at an airport.

Three Days, Two Nights

A wee break in Picton for a couple nights this week. This is a recommended way to have a totally relaxing getaway.

A lovely trip over on the interislander ferry, Arahere

The booked accomodation lived up to its promise -  505 Oxley’s Rock is a luxury penthouse apartment with stunning views over Queen Charlotte Sound and the Picton marina. 

A lovely walk out to Waikawa Bay (longer than anticipated, but well worth it and we managed to hitch a ride back on the first raising of the thumb) in the early evening of day one. An amazing dinner at Escape to Picton - highly recommended - day two.

Greatly enjoyed a cruise with Dolphin Watch Eco Tours looking at the bird and marine life in The Marlborough Sounds. We saw so much, with the highlight being a group of Hector's dolphins playing about the boat. They are so small, well under a metre in length and sadly less than fifty surviving in the world. A real privilege to see these amazing animals. Lots of other wildlife spotted including seals and a variety of seabirds. An hour was also spent on an island bird sancturay. 

Lovely last views before making our leave ...

... and home to a welcome and full bag inspection.

Anxiety and Café Protocol

I'm not an normally an anxious person, but one situation has always troubled me and also often annoyed. What to do when the line is long and tables scarce in a selected café? Will there still be a table available when I get to the front of the line? One friend is always keen to put her bag on the table while we wait our turn, but I have always felt uncomfortable about excluding someone who arrived before us. In the reverse situation, I get quite irritated by those who have parked their bag or child while I am left to stand around with nowhere to go after waiting my turn in the line. For this reason many friends know (and kindly put up with the fact) that we will end up trooping from café to café until we find one where the line:table ratio is acceptable. Today I was in Caffiend, Petone and just about to start fussing when I spied this sign.

How delightful to be able to 'bagsy a seat' with no feelings of guilt and then be able to focus fully on the task of selecting one's refreshments. I can only hope this protocol takes over in all establishments. It also led to a discussion as to whether children today still use "I bags" as a legally binding right to first dibs on a desired item - it certainly held weight in my day.

In the Dark

With a few different arrangements of friends, beverages and pre- and post-dining, I have see a few movies in the last few days. There have been resulting discussions about the merits and meanings of some.

The word 'fantasy' was used amongst the superlatives about this one. Discussion as to whether communities such as this do exist in America did not achieve consensus. Personal rating - weird but compelling.

Barely a story with this one. Basically some actors being old people and Billy Connelly being Billy Connelly. A packed theatre of mostly an older demographic who found it hilarious. Personal rating - some nice music, final credits very interesting, should have given it a miss as advised.

Lots of bloody murders on a tour of rural Britain, plus a cute dog. Personal rating - very funny despite all the gory ends which would usually horrify me, how did they mess with my mind like that?

An enjoyable movie. It was only a day or two later when I was explaining to a friend about how it was four strangely unrelated stories that I had a lightbulb moment and I realised what Woody was getting at and how they were all in fact a different take on the same theme. Personal rating - brilliant, with great shots of Rome.

Sex, Tea ...

... and Rock 'n Roll. An unusual Christmas gift, shared with friends yesterday, consisting of five tea bags with a rock icon on each.  I chose John Lennon reclining in my cup.

My companions opted for Elvis

and Hendrix.

No one wanted Michael Jackson - he's even more creepy in teabag land. There was much speculation about the fifth teabag. We speculated Janis Joplin, but await confirmation. In the meantime she can enjoy quality time in the pantry with Michael.

Two Little Words

Separately they are such innocuous little words - up and to. Put them together and, no matter how small their font is on the sign, once spotted - and they are always there when a generous percentage is boldly displayed - you immediately know that the only products reduced to the full offer will be so incredibly hideous they could not be given away.

These four were spotted on one Petone intersection today.Why do retailers do this? How gullible do they imagine we are? I know retailing is in the economic doldrums, but offer us a true sale and we might bother to cross the threshold.  So my policy is -  if the sale is 'up to' or 'on selected items' I keep on walking and buy a nice cup of tea instead. I encourage you to join me.

Eat Well, Live Well 2013

It's taken a while to get back into blogging for 2013. The holidays so far have been busy, relaxing and social. I've also spent a fair bit of time re-reading paleo principles and guidelines. Though not 'New Year Resolutions' as such, I feel even more resolute in following the paleo lifestyle in 2013. There has been lots of wishing of Happy New Year, but a much better greeting would probably be Healthy New Year.  I am blessed with very good health and much happiness. I am quite convinced it is my paleo lifestyle that maintains this. People around me seem afflicted with a myriad of health issues, but reluctant to address diet as the possible (personally, I would say probable) cause. Arthritis is apparently a better choice than dropping grains, diabetes preferable to foregoing sugar. I don't bother to respond any more to the stupidity of logic, so easily amswered, that the paleo lifestyler inevitably hears - " How come the average lifespan for a caveman was under thirty years?" Anyway, 2013 is off to a great paleo start.

Eat Well: It's so easy, so delicious, so energising. Do eat meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, eggs, nuts. Don't eat grains, legumes, nightshades, processed food. For many dairy is also a big no-no, too. I considered trying dairy free this year, but the stumbling block for me is tea. I like it with milk. I did try a switch to green tea that so many rave about, but it's just not nice. I also have become addicted to haloumi cheese. Why did no one tell me years ago just how delicious this is? I have, however, resolved to make my dairy as healthful as possible, so what luck to have Zany Zeus just along the road in Moera selling their own organic dairy products.

Organic milk - next goal to move on to their full fat, blue top.

Today's lunch, haloumi salad - yum, yum, yum! And so easy!

Live Well: 

Frequent, healthy exercise  - not some silly gym workout. I 've had some great walks already this year, important to schedule in while I'm not getting my daily walk to school each day. It also gives me a good dose of sun for vitamin D. It's interesting that skin cancer rates appear to have accelerated at a similar rate to the uptake of sunscreen as a preventative in recent years - I use it sparingly.

You don't get a view like this in the gym. Taken from Korokoro lookout.

A good walk from my house, down there somewhere in the distance!

Sleep well - this year I am going to try to eliminate some of the blue light from my evening environment. I've put a great programme on my computer that fades it from the screen at sunset. Everything takes on a retro hue and it induces yawning in me soon after. The TV is going from the bedroom and I am trying to get back into reading books as a daily habit. I'm well into the stack of autibiographies I got from the library, and will endeavour to be a regular borrower this year.

Play Well - have fun, enjoy what you are doing, reduce stress. I'm very lucky to have a job I enjoy, working with wonderful people. I spent the day at school yesterday getting the room set up and organising resources ready for the new year. It really didn't seem a chore - it was a satisfying day. Of course, for someone addicted to moving furniture as a past-time, having a big classroom and lots of furniture to move around is just an added plus. My home and garden are a bit of a hobby. And with the blessing of great friends, some holidays are planned in the year ahead, movies to see, places to go, coffees to drink. 

2013 is looking like a great year. Happy, Healthy New Year everyone!