Christmas in Rocket Park: Outdoor wednesday

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To organise an event of this magnitude entertaining 4000, a lot of volunteers are mobilised.

I like the employees of ASB bank who wore yellow T- shirts saying, "I work in the bank, but today, I serve you." In deed they served a lot of BBQ sausage in the famous New Zealand sausage sizzle.

I like my ESOL students too who helped in giving away goodie bags and sild about ten flavours of ice cream. This can be quite daunting and challenging when you are an English student.

Ka Pai to all, and Paki Paki to all, and to Mt Albert Baptist Church who organised this and all our sponsors.

save the world: ferns

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by Amelia Langford of NZPA

Greymouth, Nov 27 NZPA - A Greymouth archdeacon has asked the Department of Conservation (DOC) to provide 50,000 "pieces of fern" for Thursday's national remembrance service in Greymouth -- a tribute to the 29 men who died in the Pike River Coal mine.

"I phoned DOC...and within half an hour they said 'we'll do it for you'," Robin Kingston said during a service at Greymouth's Holy Trinity Anglican Church this evening.

About 50 people attended the service, which was adapted to pay special tribute to the 29 men.

"The ferns are a reminder that life continues. The green reminds me that there's hope -- hope that my faith will stay strong throughout this period," he told the congregation.

The national service will be held at Greymouth's Omoto racecourse on December 2.

The Silver Fern is the national plant of New Zealand. Our national Netball are called the Silver ferns. I am not sure if they are using the silver fern or just any other ferns. They are all beautiful. I was at the Auckland Museum where they used only ferns in a big floral display, It looked awesome.

Some ferns are edible. If you get lost in the bush, you can cut the fronds and use them as mats and blankets.

The photos in my photos are ferns in my garden. My mum used the Fern fronds to push and keep the vegetables down the jar when she pickled them. Very organic and no pesticides. She also used them as little umbrella shades when she transplanted her vegetable and flower seedlings.

To the families of the departed twenty nine: Kia Kaha - Be Strong.

Christmas in Rocket Park, Carols by Candle Light

We had a glorious evening. We had Petra Bagust as our MC. Thee Late 80's Mercedes played, and I even danced in the moss pit with two children.

Sunday stills: Self pics

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Sunday Stills, the next challenge: Self Pics
Posted in Sunday Stills Challenge of the Week, the next challenge with tags Sunday Stills on November 21, 2010 by Ed

Its that time to see the blogger behind the blog. Your pic, the only difference between this on and last years is this year someone else can take your pic but with your camera. So, smile and lets meet the blogger behind the blog, I’ll have to use a tripod or one of my Joby Gorilla Pods since I’m on the road…:-)
Hi Ed,

Another hard challenge, like all " professional" camera person, I don't go infront of the camera a lot. In fact I hardly do, so I scrap the barrel here just for you.

Helen Clark, the 37th Prime Minister of New Zealand in three successive terms from 1999 to 2008. Forbes magazine ranked her 20th most powerful woman in the world in 2006.

Helen came to our school as our MP. She was very nice and shook all our hands. She was very obliging when some of the teachers and staff wanted to have a photo taken with her.I joked with my siblings that I wasn't going to wash my hand.

I should have worn a red shirt as red is Labour Party's colour.

After hours of jungle walk, we were sweaty and not particularly wish to be infront of the camera.
I visited my Australian friend Diane in Australia and met her daughter in law.

Believe you me, I wish it was me standing next to this handsome Aussie hunk, instead of my son. I might have just gone waltzing matilda with him. LOL

FST: Australian Souvenir Shop

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- Favorite Shop by NanU
I combined two shoot outs because they were so similar. I combined Main Street/ Store Fronts with NanU Favorite Shop/Store.

Here are her thoughts on the theme.

Favorite shop, well, show us what you like about it. Inside, outside. Maybe some people who work there and what they sell or do.

Also I thought it would be fun to show us a shot of your main street.

I don't take many photos inside of shops as i had been told off many times. Here is a souvenir shop on the Surfer's paradise that I whipped my camera out.

The didgeridoo (also known as a didjeridu or didge) is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia at least 1,500 years ago and is still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe". Musicologists classify it as a brass aerophone. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didgeridoo

The boomerang needs no explanation.

Ahoy there! Matey

http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com

This pirate was outside the Maritime museum recruiting people to join him. I also ran away with him, but I couldn't get rid of the water engineer.

Last year, when I was doing Pirates, I got my students to write their runaway note, and used tea bags to stain the paper. It almost looked like the real thing.

Greymouth mining blast.

http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

http://www.jonathanandmelanie.blogspot.com/

http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

The blast took place last Friday, today, we are still waiting.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10689241

The Pike River coal mine board has rebutted allegations that money woes compromised safety at the mine.

Meanwhile, Grey District Mayor Tony Kokshoorn yesterday said he had heard of mine-safety fears before.

Mr Kokshoorn said he would support holding a commission of inquiry. "There's no question in my mind there's got to be an inquiry."

All roads led back to the gas levels, which was why the search and rescue mission hadn't begun.

Mr Kokshoorn was approached yesterday by Gerry Morris of Greymouth, who said he had heard some contractors didn't want to work in the mine because they believed it was unsafe.

sunday stills: High Tech, Low tech.

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Sunday Stills, the next challenge: High Tech/Low Tech
Posted in Sunday Stills Challenge of the Week, the next challenge with tags Sunday Stills on November 14, 2010 by Ed

This will be a true challenge so pay attention to the parameters. The picture must contain one old school item next to a new high tech item, For instance a dial phone next to a cell phone. So lets see how ya’ll think and good luck…:-)

Hi Ed,
One of my computers broke down, something is wrong with this one, I can't down load my photos, so I am using an old photo with a different twist.

This is a box of eggs and cakes which some Chinese give to friends and relatives when their baby is one month old. We call it baby's full moon.

The round sponge cake is High Tech, made by modern machines, and is relatively new to the Chinese as it is a Western Cake.

The two red oval cakes called turtle cakes are hand made. How old tech can that be? They believe that turtles have long life and they bring longevity. How old an idea is this?

The red eggs are timeless, eggs must be here since the beginning of time, or was it? Chicken and eggs, which came first.

Have a great weekend to everyone. We in New Zealand are very sad, by now, you would have hurt the mining explosion here. 29 miners are trapped, this is their second night. We need high tech machines like they used to rescue the Chilleans.

Friday Shootout: Temptations.

Pavlova is a meringue-based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer Ánna Pávlova. Colloquially referred to as "pav", it is a cake similar to meringue . Both New Zealand and Australia claim that they first made the Pav to honor the dancer when she came to Down Under. This Pav is made by my New Zealand born Australia Sister in Law Karen.

This is a kid's cake, In Australia, it is a mud cake and they call it a rainbow cake. I am a grand aunt. i bought this for my grand nephew.

My sister in law, Audrey's friend bought this Mango cake for her birthday. Mangoes were plentiful last summer.

This is my secret recipe chocolate mousse. Great for parties.




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Do you have a sweet tooth?

outdoor wednesday: big foot

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Look at my 13 year old's foot. We tease that he is going to have the same big foot as his dad who measures size 13.