Save the world: Figs and birds.

These fruits are from another untended tree. There were not many fruits, but there don't seem to be any birds. To be fair, this photo was taken one month earlier. May be the birds are not interested in unripe fruits.

Wild fig tree

Net over the fig tree.


Trapped inside were some small birds. The silver eye has a white ring round it's eyes.




Last summer, I had 3 fruiting plum trees and one apple tree. The birds came out in droves and pecked at the fruits. It was just as well I couldn't eat the plums because my gums felt funny at the thought of the plums. The water engineer was away, and the son didn't eat plums. Besides, I had a zillion plums which the kids in the neighbourhood enjoyed. And I didn't care very much for the apples

http://annkschin.blogspot.co.nz/2011/12/save-world-dont-waste.html

One day, a colleague offered, "Anybody want old CDs for art etc? Also good for scaring birds away from your vegetable garden." I asked if they were good for scaring birds away from my fruit trees.

My friends suggested I use nets. The plum trees are far too big for nets, but I could throw a net over part of the tree.

This afternoon, I went for a walk with my camera. I saw a house owner had covered his fig tree with a net. Inside were some silver eye birds. I was waiting to get some photos. I snap a few photos, but it was hard to get the birds. The tree was laden with fruits. http://annkschin.blogspot.co.nz/2009/01/bird-wax-eye.htmlhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Then I went and saw a wild fig tree, there were not many fruits. In fact, I could see only one and there was not one bird.

The only drawback with the net deterent, an elderly gentleman came and spoke with me. He said the trouble is, the birds don't eat one fruit, they peck and make numerous holes in numerous fruits.

Well, my mum used to say, God gave us plenty. He also gave us birds.

My blogger friend Gatinna says the net is too big, they should be smaller so the birds can't get in. I was standing there on the road for a while observing the birds. They seemed to be stressed, flying here and there. I think they were trying to escape. My gentleman friend and I did not want to be busy bodies and knock on the door to tell them about the birds.

Perhaps one way to solve this problem, is to go to the tree at regular intervals to release the birds if any got trap here. Or I wonder if hanging old CDs would help. When was the first reason I had this discussion.

For TexWisGirl : The Run*A*Round Ranch Report who has a bird feeder.


http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/

Sunday Stills:New Beginning’s

All these photos are taken in Western Springs lake, my favourite part of Auckland. I take it for granted now, I live about 15 minutes walk, and I used to drive pass everyday.


This is a remake of the Ugly Duckling, New Zealand version. Our swans are black. May be our swans are banished from the Northern hemisphere by their beautiful white cousins. Or was it their clean pristine white feathers turned black after they fly all the way now here. I believe in Perth, Australia, they also have black swans.





Ducklings, look at the ugly monsters, don't play with them.



This is a repeat. I love this so much that I want to show it again and again.




This is not a photo shop.



A Sunday outing at my favourite Western Springs park got me all excited. Do count, how many goslings there are. I counted 17 or 18.

Ka Pai aka good job, Goosey Lucy and Daddy Gander.

In a previous post,http://ann-mythoughtsandphotos.blogspot.com/2009/09/goslings-in-western-springs.html I mentioned there were aunties, and indeed, there was an adult goose tagging along mummy and daddy. They swam a whole stretch of over one hundred meters each way like a fleet of naval boats.

I invite you all to come to New Zealand to witness this marvelous sight.

http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/
ans

photo-hunting-: Yellow

On Wednesday, I taught my last Adult ESOL class for the term. I had 4 students from China, 2 from Russia, 1 from Czech Republic, 1 Thailand, 1 Sri Lanka, 1 Croatia, 1 Taiwan in my class. This year, the Chinese Ching Ming Festival remembering the dead coincided with Easter. I let them talk about their customs of visiting the graves before I led them to the Good Friday message.

One student asked, "Why Good Friday, when some one has to die?"

I wished I was more equipped and have my computer to show my previous year's post.

This morning, I woke up and saw that rainbow heart again on my wardrobe. I thought, if instead of the cross, I can use my own interpretation of substituting Jesus' heart/ love. The dark side is the people of the world, full of sin, the heart bridges us sinners to the light side. Would that be a good figurative illustration for my non Christian students to tell John 3:16?. (This heart is also for Cheryl.)






Yellow chicks for Gattina's theme for today.










This post was two years ago.
On Wednesday, at the Mt Albert Baptist Church ESOL class, we had a special Easter morning. We set up a visual table, and invited our Ministries Pastor, Arthur Warner to talk to our students. We served hot cross buns at morning tea.

This was an eye opening event, as we have students from many nationalities and ethnic background. We have Muslims, Buddhist, Hindus and free thinkers. We showed to them that Easter is not just about Easter Chocolate eggs and Easter bunnies.

http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.co.nz/2011/11/list-of-photo-hunting-themes.html

http://gattina-keyholepictures.blogspot.co.nz/

Friday Shootout: Secret Garden

I have posted this photo, but I really love it. One day, I was walking along Mt Eden Road. I have not walked this road for twenty years. Down in the valley, in between two buildings was this gem. It is so well hidden that unless you look down the valley, you won't see it. It was so beautiful, just what I would dream about.
There was a man working down there, so I was discrete when taking the pix. I suppose if I told him I was a keen gardener, he would kindly show me his crops.
I wonder if an original building had been torn down, and the place left to become a bush. The man took it upon himself to make this garden. He puts me to shame with his manicured garden, and when I look at my unruly and abandoned one.



April 6: Hidden Niches A quiet spot for coffee, a place to read a book or a secret garden...Do some peeking around town, share what you find.




link to Mr Linky at the Friday shoot out link below.
http://mytownshootout.blogspot.com

George P Fa'apoi, My Tongan Friend

SIA KO VEIONGO R.F.C. 1966
George in front of the coach.

A distinquished George now.

 Here I am with my ESOl srudent/friend George and his daughter Sita infront of his stall selling Tongan craft. See my Pasifika hat? I didn't like the feeling of the lei, so I wound it round my hat.
 On Wednesday mornings, I go to Mt Albert Baptist Church. The kids in school ask me why I go there. I tell them, I teach big people to learn English. I tell them there mums and dads can go and learn English and about New Zealand Culture.  I tell them about George. He is the best example to an immigrant to New Zealand.


Mālō e lelei - hello

I always greet George "Mālō e lelei" because these are the only Tongan words I know. My students in Pt Chevalier school taught me to say that and assured me that it is enough when I greet a Tongan person.

This is George Petelo Fa'apoi. He is 75 and comes to Mt Albert Baptist Church ESOL classes as a senior student. He is a very regular attendant and is such an inspiration. I don't teach him, so I regard him as a friend. He is what the proverbial phrase, tall, dark and handsome man and soft spoken that any woman, me inclusive, would want for her boy friend.

In his younger days, he had traveled the world with the Tongan Shipping agency and had been to Borneo. George's extensive CV was high lighted when he was the security guard on duty during the French bombing of the Rainbow Warrior. He was the first eye witness and he ran to the police station.

George is one of the few surviving Tongan rugby players that first played against the Maori All Black in 1966.

Now as a retiree, he doesn't twiddle his thumbs. He attended numerous courses including alcoholism seminars, Pacific Islands sexual abuse counseling course, interpreting in English and Tongan, to help his people.

Instead he volunteers with the Friendly Islands Wardens Incorporated, and with 7 ex policemen. He provides security for Auckland City, Balmoral area, Sandringham and Avondale area. George is the manager. He is a friendly grand pa to many of the Polynesian kids.

He is one of the initiators of the Pasifika Festival Celebration in Western Springs. He holds a stall with his wife. Their stall won the best dressed stall in Tonga village in 2010. Such is the dedication and passion for his culture.

After more than 40 years in New Zealand, he can show the kids a thing or two. Life doesn't need to be a useless bum as is the stereotyping prejudiced ideas perceived of immigrant people from the islands.

George lives with his wife, has two children, and seven grand children, (6 boys and a girl). He attends church service every Sunday, and is an encouragement to those who know him. He is held with the highest regard among the Tongan community.

Mālō e lelei - hello (lit. congrat. on being well, the being in good health is worthy of gratitude)

Fēfē hake? - how are you? (fēfē means how, hake is idiomatic with fēfē)

Sai pē - just fine


http://youtu.be/H8Gbk4i41_M

Tonga might well be that island in the sun.




Island In The Sun lyrics
Songwriters: Belafonte, Harry; Burgess, Irving;

Oh island in the sun
Built to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest waters, your shining sand

As morning breaks, the Heaven on high
I lift my heavy load to the sky
Sun comes down with a burning glow
Mingles my sweat with the earth below

Oh island in the sun
Built to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest waters, your shining sand

I see woman on bended knee

Cutting cane for her family
I see man at the water-side
Casting nets at the surfing tide

Oh island in the sun
Built to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest waters, your shining sand

I hope the day will never come
When I can't awake to the sound of drum
Never let me miss carnival
With calypso songs philosophical

Oh island in the sun
Built to me by my father's hand
All my days I will sing in praise
Of your forest waters, your shining sand

[. From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/h/harry-belafonte-lyrics/island-in-the-sun-lyrics.html .]




http://thursdaythemesong.blogspot.com/
http://hootin--anni.blogspot.com/o

My world Tuesday/Outdoor Wed: Tokelau

Can you see the "wicket" in the gap on the ground between the man's legs? It is made of two cans and a bottle.



The young boy has the bat.
Tokelau (play /ˈtoʊkəlaʊ/) is a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean that consists of three tropical coral atolls with a combined land area of 10 km2 and a population of approximately 1,400. The atolls lie north of the Samoan Islands, east of Tuvalu, south of the Phoenix Islands, southwest of the more distant Line Islands (both island groups belonging to Kiribati) and northwest of the Cook Islands.

The United Nations General Assembly designated Tokelau a Non-Self-Governing Territory.[2] Until 1976 the official name was Tokelau Islands. Tokelau is sometimes referred to by the older, colonial name of The Union Islands.

Many Tokelau people come and live in New Zealand, especial here in Auckland. They bring their flowery culture, especially their lava-lava.

On Auckland Anniversary, they had a family day, at Walker Park Beach. I was there and I asked them what the game was that they were playing.

"Fun", and Fun has no special equipment, just a bat. A adapted wicket is made with two big food cans, and a bottle. The person bats. If the opposing team picks up the ball and topples the wicket, the batter is out. The game is called "Fun" because it is fun, sometimes, not only the bottle topples, the players topple too.

I came back to school, and got my Tokelau student to confirm that it is indeed "Fun."

Fun is different from Kilikiti (cricket),where they play with a gigantic bat.
http://annkschin.blogspot.co.nz/2010/04/friday-shoot-out-april-30-sports-and.html Men, women, and children can play.


http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/



http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com

Sunday Stills-Birdstalking

You see my silver car DLC with the dent at the corner? The gulls are just about to land.


The gulls were waiting for me to feed them.
They fly off after I shoo them away.

You won't believe it, and normally I won't believe it. This post is supposed to be birdstalking, which I take it to be us stalking birds.

But today, after taking photos of my Church's garage sale, the sea gulls and pigeons were stalking me. As I approached my car with a bag full of empty pots which I was going to use to pot baby plants to sell for Crops for Charity for Nepal. Guess what happened?

A whole lot of seagulls and pigeons started to land on me. After taking enough photos,I had to shoo them away so I don't run them over by my car.



I did stalk these ones at the beach.


I have to show the Godwits, in case you see them, and they tell you about meeting me in New Zealand. The Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa lapponica) is a large wader in the family Scolopacidae, which breeds on Arctic coasts and tundra mainly in the Old World, and winters on coasts in temperate and tropical regions of the Old World.[2] It makes the longest known non-stop flight of any bird and also the longest journey without pausing to feed by any animal, 11,680 kilometres (7,258 mi) along a route from Alaska to New Zealand.[3]




Oyster eaters are displaced when the council removed the oysters and oyster shells at Pt Chevalier beach. I see them away from their comfort zone. In this photo, it is at the Omaha bird sanctur.
Sunday Stills-Birdstalking

Stalking birds in my neighborhood.


http://sundaystills.wordpress.com/