By-election Fever: June 13

The Mt Albert seat was left vacant by the previous Prime Minister Helen Clark who went to work for the United Nations. There are many contestants.  There is a lot of knocking on doors, and party supporters who put advertisement signs at their fence.  On public land, usually at junctions of road, each candidate is allowed to put up his/her sign.

I had a chance to work on the voting booth, but I declined They tell me that it is long hours. Back in 1975, I had a job counting the votes in Borneo.

By-election fever: David Shearer

David Shearer, a high-ranking United Nations official is the Labour Party's candidate in the by-election in the parliamentary seat of Mt Albert left vacant by Helen Clark who left to work in the United nations.
I am not a member of any political party, but I support the under dog, the poor working class. In my university days, I worked in factories in the long summer break. That has influenced my thinking.
With Shearer's CV, I know who I will vote on June 13. Shearer was standing outside my school entrance as I was going home. His supporter gave me his red flyer. I did a double take, and went back to take his photo. He was most obliging and thanked me. Of course he doesn't know that I am doing a post about him.

Shearer is an aid worker who has spent much of the past two decades in the world's worst war zones: Somalia, Rwanda, Liberia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Lebanon and now Iraq.

Herald files show a number of close calls, such as surviving an armed hold-up by bandits in Mogadishu to being on the ground in Belgrade while it was being bombed.

Mr Shearer and his wife, Anuschka Meyer, were the Herald's New Zealanders of the Year in 1992. That year, they ran one of the biggest aid camps in Somalia during the civil war.

He is currently the deputy special representative of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in Iraq.

His role includes acting as envoy for the UN Development Programme - which Helen Clark has left Mt Albert to run.

Crown Hotel

The name says Royalty,

The rules demand a high standard of dress.

I LOL, when I saw how tatty the sign is, I refuse to enter.

Sundaystills: Eyes

Eyes of intensity, the owner was demonstrating his karate arts. At that time, he was demonstrating only, as he had just joined the club. He had a beginners white belt. Couple of years down the line, he is almost on his way to a black belt. He isn't so liberal in letting me take his photos if I was going to show his face.

These are a Russian doll's eyes. When I grew up in Borneo, when we drew people, we drew eyes like this, not slitty chinese eyes. In Japanese Comics, they draw very big eyes. There is a hero worship among Asians of big western eyes. Among the Korean television stars, many go cosmetic surgery to enlarge their eyes.

This pair of three and half year old eyes, she was holding her new born baby sister for the first time. Such lovingness and tenderness.

These are innocent toddler's eyes.

Ah Meng, the iconic resident of the Singapore Zoo. Ah Meng entertains tens of thousands of international visitors who pay to have breakfast with the Orang Utans. 

This pair of eyes belong to a student who comes to the Oyugi School for the Deaf in Kenya. My girl friends in Singapore and I were involved in raising funds for the school. We called ourselves "Foodsale" ladies. In the process, we made lots of friends from all over the world.

Another pair of child's eyes.

http://sundaystills.wordpress.com

My first reaction on this assignment was , my little camera doesn't take close up photos. Even if it does, where am I going to get models who would allow me to take their photos.

So with a bit of computer tricks, I came up with these, cropping photos I have in my archives.

Here's photos of children, and an animal. People say children don't lie. Children are innocent.

Friday Shoot Out.

My school encourages walking, scootering and even skateboarding. We are lucky we are very near to the beach. This photo was taken in March when I took some of my seniors to Walker Park, a Marine reserve. We walked. I tell the kids, we take bus number 11.

This is an old photo taken in the Changi Airport in Singapore. Children like to ride on the airport trolleys. Here's Sam at around 5 years old with his cousins. The Changi Airport is very big, with three terminal buildings. The little feet get very tired, and the trolleys are great.

This is not a daily sight. Sam likes to go horse riding. It is a treat. But for many in a farm. horses are a daily affair.

This is a trailer. I don't know if other countries use this. It like a wagon with two wheels. It is attached to  a tow bar of a car, and you can transport anything. It is very handy.

That day at Walker park, a group of tourists came to see the Oyster Catchers. They were lucky. The birds often go galliavanting, and if you take a trip especially, chances are you will be disappointed.

I took this because you don't see such old fashion prams any more. You normally see buggies, push chairs and prams.

This is a mobility taxi. I stood and watch a long time as the driver helped the wheer chair bound person to his van. It had a lever or jack platform. If I could give a bouquet, the driver deserved it. He was so patient. I did another post on these taxis.

When you have a broken window, and wonder how to get the glass panes to your house. This is how it is done.

Some people are lucky, Some even live on their boats.

Finally, after a hard day's work. 99 kegs of beer.

My Town Friday Shoot Out - Getting Around our cities and towns without cars.

I have to confess, as I have done many times before, I zip around in my car because Auckland is a suburban sprawl, and my school is 7 kilometers away, and the water engineer works in an opposite direction of me. My walking is for recreational purposes, so these photos from my archives are those that attract me. I had been posting on wheels, all types of wheels. These photos come handy with this challenge.

Black and White: House

I have caught the learning bug. Now that I find that I can create beautiful B & W photos, I just want to experiment more. Many of the houses in New Zealand are made of timber planks, and they have beautiful lace work. This turned out quite well.

The water engineer tells me the timber here are treated and they last a long time.

Letter box

One day, I had a long walk, and came across this letter box. I did a double take before I took the photo. Then I was intriqued by the entrance or rather the lack of it.  It was an unruly bush. I couldn't see anything beyond the bush and the trees.

I suppose you don't have to be a rocket scientist to guess why the neighbours don't venture into the compound to tell the owner to keep his garden neat and tidy like the rest of them.