Wait, what?

I was reading an immigration newsletter, when I came across this:

A Canadian Travel visa is for tourists, organ donors and business people who wish to travel to Canada for a short stay.

Really?

Somebody buy my car!

FOR SALE
1998 Ford Escort Wagon
1.8L Turbo Diesel
Reliable and economical transportation for travel or utility use.
Well maintained. Full maintenance history back to 2005.

Answers to the name of ‘Daisy’



Kilometres:
212,211km

Body:
Green, 5 door, Station Wagon

Engine:
4 cylinder, 1800cc, Manual

Registration expires:
Nov 2010

WOF expires:
Apr 2010

Stereo description:
Factory cassette/radio

Features:
Alarm
Central locking
Driver airbag
Power steering
Towbar

NZ$4500 ono

(I'm not included)

Finally got my New Zealand driving license in the post this morning. Promptly smashed a headlight in celebration.

At least the fireworks down on the harbour front were good.

Yarr!

It be Talk Like A Pirate Day on Saturday.

You are The Cap'n!

Some men and women are born great, some achieve greatness and some slit the throats of any scalawag who stands between them and unlimited power. You never met a man - or woman - you couldn't eviscerate. You are the definitive Man of Action, the CEO of the Seven Seas, Lee Iacocca in a blousy shirt and drawstring-fly pants. You're mission-oriented, and if anyone gets in the way, that's his problem, now isn't? Your buckle was swashed long ago and you have never been so sure of anything as your ability to bend everyone to your will. You will call anyone out and cut off his head if he shows any sign of taking you on or backing down. If one of your lieutenants shows an overly developed sense of ambition he may find more suitable accommodations in Davy Jones' locker. That is, of course, IF you notice him. You tend to be self absorbed - a weakness that may keep you from seeing enemies where they are and imagining them where they are not.




What's Yer Inner Pirate?
brought to you by The Official Talk Like A Pirate Web Site. Arrrrr!

Oh noes!

Apparently Terry Wogan is stepping down as breakfast show host on Radio 2. He kept me entertained on the drive into work. Funny man.

From here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8241101.stm

Even more new photos!

I've been getting some use out of my camera!

This Sunday R and I headed out to Ferrymead Heritage Village. It's very similar to the one we went to in Nelson (where we wrote our Christmas cards in the sun), but sadly lacks an on-site brewery. However, it did have steam trains! On the first Sunday of every month they get the steam trains, trams and electric trolleybuses out and you can ride around on them as much as you like. This Sunday also happened to be Fathers' Day, so we were a little out of place (being the only ones there without kids). But that's never stopped us before, and I don't think it ever will.

The actual village has the usual things like old shops, a church, a schoolroom (which we didn't venture into - wasn't feeling that brave!), but also serves as a home for a substantial array of local societies. We found model railways, with blokes busy making trains run around large models (the ground level of which were usually at my eye-height, making me feel like a child again and really annoying all the actual children who couldn't see a thing), historic aircraft restoration hangars, Christchurch Hansom Cab Society (I love those things - they should be brought back), even an amateur radio station which appeared to be set in 1977 (the DJ was happily reading out news of Elvis' death). All great fun to look around, and a good chance for the societies to recruit new members, I imagine.

Photos are, as ever, on Picasaweb.

New photos

I've put some new photos up on the Picasaweb site. Some are older than others...

It's nice that the weather is picking up again. Yesterday I discovered that maybe sunscreen should have been on my list of things to do before going out. Nothing serious, I just discovered I had changed colour by the time I got home from walking on the Banks Peninsula. Summer is here again?

Time for an update

Which I shall do in bullet-point form, for brevity. I'm tired.

• Christchurch has a strange mix of weather, from the really very cold to the sitting outside in t-shirt warmth. This often happens on the same day. I feel like I'm experiencing both hemispheres at the same time.
• Job-hunting during a recession is a stupid idea. Especially when on a working holiday visa and competing with laid-off Kiwis.
• Luckily R's old company needed researchers in NZ, so yay for proper work! Paid in US$ even, so we'll be rich. Comparatively.
  
• I'm not sure why they don't pay in pounds, when it's a British company. Never mind.
• With work sorted, we turned our attention to other fun things. Like snowboarding!
• Pictures are on Picasa. Look to the little link on the left for photo and video action.
• Or go here.
  
• Kea are fantastic.
• My coccyx hurts.
• I'm not in hospital! This is an improvement.

That's all for now. Consider yourselves caught up.

Also want

Who in the UK would like to buy me this? It's a collection of 100 classic books on a DS cartridge. Certainly would save R and I a lot of money on reading material!

The problem with NZ is that games and books and things here are really expensive. Take the above item. On Amazon.co.uk, ten quid. To buy here, getting on for $60. Even with the exchange rate, that's a lot more! Silly NZ and its being far away from... well, everything.

WANT!

It's ridiculous how much I enjoy these games. Sadly, R's laptop won't play them, so I've sent a "hint hint" kind of email to his brother in Chicago. There's a Wii there, just waiting for some Guybrush Threepwood...