Imax

My old boss just got a job working at Imax and today he showed me around the booth and it was AWESOME!

Everything was just... bigger. The film was bigger, the platters were bigger, the projector was bigger... it was pretty damn cool.

More than just seeing something awesome again though, was that it was good to just be in a projection room again. I've said before that projection is in my blood and it really couldn't be truer - being back in a projection room, with the chatter of the machine, the dim lights and talking about projectors and idiot management... well it felt like old times.

Shit Internet

I hate Xtra, I cannot even begin to explain it.

I had to give up my Orcon connection when I left my last flat so since I've been here I've been dealing with a very small Xtra connection. While we're on full-speed I have no complaints, it's fine, however we only have 3 gig before we're throttled - at which point I can't even order a pizza.

Essentially, I'm paying $35/month for 1 gig of internet and 3 weeks of frustration. Clearly a situation which can't continue.

Thank God Orcon's on it's way!

Gym bunny

I've been to the gym 5 times this week. I went Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. While Tuesday-Friday were all pretty basic half an hour cardio workouts, today has been an extensive 90 minutes cardio and weights routine. I opted for the easier of my two routines, but man, I feel amazing right now!

Yesterday I went to the new veggie market down the road and spent $15 on veggies - which is a lot of veggies - and then proceeded to create a week's worth of portion-controlled lunches and dinners, which means I'm officially on a diet too.

I think the best diet/exercise routines are based on flexibility and reward, so my plan is this:

If I go to the gym 5 times per week (and the only requirement while AT the gym is at least a 30 minute cardio session, which is easy), I get a trip to the movies.

If I go to the gym 6 times per week, I also get a small combo from the candy bar while I'm there.

It's incredibly basic, but hopefully it will be enough to encourage me to go - especially with so many great movies out at the moment, or coming soon. The theory is that I already go to the movies on a weekly basis, but I need to either cut it back as it's getting very expensive, or make it a reward.

This week's movie is Transformers 2. I've heard mixed reviews but everyone at least agrees it's worth seeing at the cinema, so that's the plan for tonight!

Last lesson!

I've officially finished driving lessons!

My last lesson was today, and while I've still got things to work on, these are things that will come right with practice.

Luckily, a friend has volunteered to help me out with said practice and as her work pays for her gas, it's not even going to cost anything!

At this point, the plan is to wait until next pay day and book the test, wait the month until it comes up, and sit the test with my instructor's car. All said and done, I should be able to cross off another goal in 6-8 weeks!

So exciting!

Not such a bad day afterall

Today didn't start out that grand. It started with me waking up at 8.48am (and needing to be at work by 9) and only seemed to get worse, however, at the end of the day, I'm actually thinking that if putting a positive spin on things, it actually went pretty well.

• Waking up late meant I got to sleep more.
• Even though I had to run for it, I still got the train.
• Michael Jackson died, which while horribly sad, did add some excitement to the day, and it meant everyone was playing his greatest hits all day, which we can all agree are bloody good songs.
• My train was cancelled on the way home, but it meant I got Subway for dinner.
• A friend took me driving (a good thing), which meant I couldn't see Tranformers tonight (a bad thing) but at 10.30pm I got a free movie voucher (a good thing) which means I can see Transformers for free tomorrow (an awesome thing).
• I discovered that my old Sony Ericsson, which I previously thought dead, is infact just injured and actually works - I may be able to get it fixed.

So all in all, today didn't suck, infact, it was actually pretty gosh-darn awesome.

Green Day Baby!!

The pre sale tickets for Auckland gig of Green Day's 21st Century Breakdown tour went on sale today, and I got 2.

Since our Justin Timberlake experience I think I overestimate the demand for stuff like this. If this were Justin Timberlake there is no way I would have got a ticket because I forgot all about it until Ingrid asked me if I'd got a ticket 15 minutes after they went on sale. Historically, while they play to sell-out crowds, Green Day do not sell out immediately.

Anyway, after my atrocious online shopping incident yesterday I decided that I'd just see what happens. The first set of seats I got were too far away - they were up way behind where we were for Justin Timberlake and while I liked those seats, they were far enough away, I wanted to be closer, so I put them back and had another dip. This time the seats were much better, so I grabbed them.

Ticketmaster has no problem accepting my money.

I figured I'd find someone to go with and I was right - less than half an hour after I'd bought the tickets Holly decided she wanted to come with me (another friend had sorted a ticket for her, but he had another person keen as well, so it worked out well for everyone) - so now we're all set.

Seeing Green Day at the end of this year means so much to me. Not only does it mean I can cross off another goal from my list (which means I'll be able to cross off at least three this year) - it means I've seen both the bands I swore I'd see live while I was living in Auckland.

As much as I dislike this city, I can't argue that I have always wanted to live here for one reason: the live concerts. For as long as I can remember the best bands have always played Auckland if they came to New Zealand. Before I moved I told my mother I would see two bands: Green Day and the Foo Fighters. I saw the Foos last year, and this year I get to see Green Day.

And it just doesn't get much more awesome than that.

Google Phone

I've been wanting a phone that uses the Android OS for quite a while. After my old phone died, I bought a Nokia 1208 (i.e. the most basic phone on the market) and decided I would 'make do' until I found something I really want.

What I really want is a phone that will allow me to read my (Google) RSS feeds, check my (g)Mail, update by Blogger (read: Google-powered) blog, sync with my (Google) Calendar, let me watch YouTube (which is, of course, owned by Google), access Google maps and Street View, Google stuff and a few bits and pieces that aren't Google-based (Facebook, TradeMe, Twitter).

Now, I know that an iPhone will allow me to do most of that, but I don't want an iPhone. To be honest, I don't even want an iPod or iTunes - I actually don't like Apple much at all - through my years as an Internet user one thing has become abundantly clear - I am well and truly a GoogleGirl (hell, I'm even writing this blog in Chrome).

So naturally, a Google Phone makes a lot of sense and I'm VERY excited by the prospect. Sunrise were giving away 2 last week and despite being late for work twice and waking up at 7.30am on my day off in order to collect all the codes for entry I managed to text it the wrong number. At the time I shrugged this off as just being stupid - I wasn't happy about it but I figured I just wouldn't tell anyone and it'd be fine - that was before the rest of my Google Phone debacle.

The Rock also gave away 20 phones - one of which was given away right next to my office - except that it was my day off and I was out doing other things. I put it down to bad luck and figured I could always buy one...

The opportunity for which came today. Not winning a phone is life, but not being able to BUY one of these little gems? Well someone is trying to tell me something.

In trying to purchase an HTC Magic phone today I've had to call Vodafone four times, make 2 trips to Vodafone stores, 2 calls to my bank and multiple online purchase attempts - none of which have got me my phone. Every time I go to finalise the order it tells me my credit card is declined - despite KNOWING there is enough money on my card to make the transaction.

It's frustrating to say the least. I have an offer to get it substantially cheaper, before release and I CAN'T.

My day has looked like this:

• Get the special offer email, try to buy phone - Vodafone website won't take my money.
• Go to one Vodafone store, who send me to another Vodafone store, who tell me to ring helpdesk, who tell me to delete my cookies.
• Delete my cookies and website still won't let me buy phone so I call Vodafone who tell me it's not their end, so I call the bank who say they'll launch an investigation but they can't work out why it won't work.
• Try again and it still won't let me buy it so I call Vodafone and they tell me my card's been blacklisted as I've tried too many times, so they unblacklist it and say I need to call Kiwibank to let me buy it.
• Call Kiwibank who say because it's under investigation there's nothing they can do for 5 working days until the investigation is done.

So I give up, this phone is CLEARLY not meant to be mine.

Yes, I will continue to enter competitions, but I'm not going to make another attempt to buy this phone. For one thing I'm sick of being piggy in the middle here - if Vodafone don't want my $500, so be it, I'm happy to keep it sitting in my savings account - frankly I'm a little wary of their smart phone plans anyway - and when my contract comes to an end in a few months, well... I might just start taking a look at that new XT network Telecom is bragging about, or 2degrees, the new guy.

Great success!

I walked TO work today

I went to the GYM today

I walked HOME today

WOO!

Diet

Lately I've been feeling lazy and yucky - which isn't all that surprising given my inclination to sit on my ass all day and eat foods that aren't very good for me, so starting this week, I'm changing again.

Firstly, it's back to the gym for Kat - it's been a ridiculously long time since I last went - they've actually given up calling me! I just need to suck it up and go. Even if it's only for 30 minutes, it beats nothing.

Secondly, I have to start walking again. Being so close to the train station I've tended to take the easy option. This has consequences - I might get more sleep in the morning but my jeans don't fit anymore!

Finally, I need to clean up my diet. I need to encourage smaller portions of healthier food, so I've been thinking lately and I think that if I keep lunch to rice, vegetables, yoghurt and a banana, I could handle it. It's a little boring, but it's enough that I'll remain full and it's so good for me it's not funny. I also like the idea of that a LOT more than the idea of salad. Every day. Over and over. Yuck.

While I'm not going to go back to gluten-free, I am going to go to low-gluten. Wherever possible I'm going to go to oats and rice. I can feel the gluten in me and it's really not that awesome. Essentially rather than avoiding gluten specifically, I'm just going to try change the foods I choose to rice and oat based products.

Enough sitting on my ass, I feel awful and it's time to change.

Starting now.

One year too long

I've officially been living in Auckland for a year longer than I ever intended. Today is the one-year anniversary of my leaving Hoyts.

It's taken an entire year to get back my appetite for movies, but as I'm seeing them on a weekly basis at the moment - and I've seen two this weekend - it's pretty safe to say I've got that back now.

Tuesday is my one year anniversary at my current workplace. It's a job I love, and I do feel incredibly happy to work for a company which is not only very good to it's staff, but that is actually doing well in such a crappy economic client, but it's in Auckland, and Auckland is not where I want to be.

I'm not happy here and my thoughts turn daily towards leaving - formulating plans and working out how and when I can finally do it.

Thankfully cogs are in motion. I think if they weren't, I'd go a little mad. Nothing specific yet, but I'm certainly not planning to be here in one year's time - one year too long is long enough.

Almost there!

Today my driving instructor told me he thought I only needed one more lesson and I'd be ready for the test.

That will mean it's taken 7 weeks, which i'm quite impressed with, because I originally thought 10.

The next steps are to get a friend to take me out for some practice without an instructor breathing "right, left, shoulder check, indicate..." next to me. One of my friends has come to the party which is really lovely of her. We'll see how long it takes until I'm completely confident, then I may have one final lesson with my instructor to go over the course and then I guess I'll be getting my license.

Which in and of itself is a very strange concept.

Over the years I've become one of the last holdouts. Slowly all my friends who have put it off have given in and learnt and, while there are a few still to give in (I can think of 3), I'm one of the oldest people I know who - until now - doesn't know how to drive.

Still taking some getting used to!!

Day Off!

I've got the day off today because I worked Saturday last week so now I get to decide what I'm going to do with an entire work day free, it's pretty exciting!

I think I'll probably end up going out to Sylvia Park actually. I haven't been out there in ages and things seem to be leading me that way so why not?

Fun times.

Open Entry

Pita Sharples' latest comment about open entry to university has got up my nose substantially. I'm not against giving Maori a leg up, nor am I against open entry to university, what I am against is setting people up for failure - which I think is exactly what an open university entrance system based on race would do.

I don't have any argument that something needs to be done, but I've got a strong argument about what exactly is wrong and what needs to be done to resolve the issue.

Firstly, I do have to say this - university isn't for everyone, and neither is it a guarantor of success. It helped me, and it's helped many people I know, but it's not a cure-all.

I think the problems start far earlier than a 15 year old starting NCEA. I think they start with the parents getting inadequate support, having inadequate incomes, and not nurturing their children. I think that there is a failure of our Western education system to cater to the learning styles and cultures of indigenous peoples the world over. Not all cultures thrive in the same environments. We are all equal, but we are not the same.

Children need love, stimulus, a balanced diet, involved parents, shelter, warmth and routine. It is those things that will create a strong Maori race, not an easy ticket to university. Parenting courses, higher benefit levels, programs providing breakfast for children before schools, ensuring every child has a pair of shoes and a jacket in winter, making sure bed times are enforced, sending kids out to play or to read instead of sitting them down in front of the TV or Playstation. These things will allow them to learn from their environments in a positive, constructive manner and prepare them to succeed in the future.

I know plenty of smart Maori people. I believe that Maori are a smart, resourceful, strong race and I have the utmost respect for them and their culture. The Maori I know who are supported by their Hapu and whanau are the ones who reach heights I can only dream about. These people are, without fail, amazing. These people do not need hand outs because they work hard, have been nurtured and have goals.

Open entry for Maori is fine, but if they do not have the skills for university then you are only setting them up to fail and giving them a student loan that will only put them on the back foot.

Without open entry, I would not have been allowed into university - it is a system that works - but to target it racially will only encourage division within the tertiary sector - especially as Auckland University at least has cut open entry entirely. The places already reserved for those of Maori descent are already cause for grumbling around university campuses. To know that a white girl had to study for weeks while a Maori girl got in without even trying? That's just unfair.

I believe Pita has his heart in the right place, but that his approach is entirely flawed. Yes, we need to tackle the problem, but in a constructive way that gives long-lasting benefits available to all of Maoridom - not by creating hatred and racial tension within our centers of higher learning.

Cheesymite Chips

While I was at the supermarket today I stumbled across Cheesymite flavoured chips. Apparently The Rock had taken a vote to create NZ's favourite chip and Cheesymite won.

When I saw them I initially thought "wtf!?" but then I realised I like cheesymite stuff, I like chips and marmite, so I'd probably like Cheesymite chips... and if I didn't I'd only lose a couple of bucks.

I've just popped them open and they're not bad. The Marmite flavour isn't as strong as I'd like, and mostly it just tastes like a cross between cheese and bbq, but they're edible, and really that's what you want most in a chip.

The most expensive book I own

Last time I was in Wellington I spent a few happy hours at Te Papa - firstly with Holly, who spent much of the time we were browsing the fine art level comparing art works to Harry Potter characters, and later with Dane and Shera, who did not.

I like Te Papa and their art. I think it's awesome that some truly amazing pieces - art that stirs up emotion and inspiration - are so easily accessible to anyone who cares to walk into the museum, and I try to walk in there whenever I can.

After I got back to Auckland, I spotted a book called The Art of Te Papa, which is a rather large publication cataloguing all the art Te Papa owns. I was enthralled, it's a fantastic book with the history of not only the works themselves, but also of how they came to be in the Te Papa collection. Unfortunately for me, at $120 it was completely unjustifiable.

That is until Dymocks was going out out of business.

As sad as it is that Dymocks was shutting down, I can't complain about the opportunity it gave me to buy a book I wanted for half price. To be honest even $60 was a bit more than I could justify on this book, but I did really want it, and it was never going to be that low again, so I bought it on a whim.

And there it is - the most expensive (and possibly the heaviest) book I own.

Changing places

This month's recession buster is a little harder than the last couple, but it can also save you a lot more money if you do it. It's quite simple, you've just got to ask yourself - am I with the best power, phone, gas and Internet companies?

There is a very good chance you're not.

The company that will be best for you is unlikely to be the company that is best for other people you know, but the first thing that's worth thinking about is that the best company is highly unlikely to be Telecom. Take this example from my current flat:

My old flatmate had us on a $100/month Telecom account. This got us 3 gigabytes of Internet, free national calls and a phone line. She made numerous calls to India, and spent over $150/month on these calls alone. Not only was she happy with this, but even if she wasn't, she's locked in on a contract for the next 12 months.

When she left, we changed over to Orcon. For $120/month we get 25 gigabytes of Internet, free national calls, free calls to one country of our choice, an answering service and a phone line.

For an extra $20 a month, our flatmate would have saved over $150.

Orcon also has the added bonus of no contracts, so if someone else appeared offering better Internet, at better prices, we'd be free to move. I am, afterall, enamoured with Orcon.

For electricity, I'd say it's worth looking into Powershop as it allows you to buy from whoever is cheapest, or greenest, or whatever is most important to you in a power company.

The Internet opens some incredible opportunities and it's no longer enough to just get phone and Internet services from Telecom and power from one company - these days you have choice, and the ability to vote with your mouse.

I recommend you take a look at your options and ask your geeky friends. Not a single geek I know is with Telecom - anyone who is a serious user of the Internet has worked out the best deals are to be found elsewhere. If you're like my ex-flatmate, it could save you up to $1,800 a year.

And that's definitely worth looking into!

Gah!

Daily blogging. Man it's a chore sometimes.

Right now I'm bored - I have nothing else to do, 3 blogs to catch up on and I just cannot be bothered.

I need some motivation. Motivation to blog, to go to the gym, to do SOMETHING productive. Instead I sit here and surf Facebook - the black hole of motivation - and do sweet F.A.

Gah!

Amusing Headlines

Sometimes headlines crack me up. I read a lot of them each day on my RSS feeds, here are some of my favourites:

Aussie Munter guilty of killing over water law - NZ Herald, December 15 2008
Police hunt smelly man with bad breath over tourist sex attack - NZ Herald, January 19 2009
'Thong bandits' get 12yrs in US jail - NZ Herald, February 18 2009

Thames Hospital filled with diarrhoea sufferers - NZ Herald, Jun 5 2009

Man dresses as dead mother to collect benefit - NZ Herald, June 18 2009

Plan hatched for sex-starved Aussie bird - NZ Herald, June 18 2009

Mother admits punching son's principal - NZ Herald, June 24 2009

Because I slowly collect these headlines, this will become an occasional feature of this blog. These headlines have been collected over the last 7 months or so. Because of the time, sometimes the links will get moved, but I assure you, these were infact at one point real headlines.

Melissa Lee, I'm going to miss you

Despite the fact that she's a National candidate, I really am going to miss Melissa Lee and her frequent public gaffes. Yes, she's still around, but like Sarah Palin before her she now gets to go back to her old job and try live down the nightmare that was her candidacy.

Her racist comments, claiming that her politician's salary was like "earning $2 an hour" to a gathering of low-wage earners, her volunteers claiming she'd like to punch media...

Well she was a laugh a day, that's for sure.

I'm sure as time moves on she'll learn the lessons and National will absolutely be putting a lot of time and training into her before they send her out to campaign again, but man, I'm really going to miss Melissa Lee, 2009 Mt Albert Electorate candidate.

Bad sleeper

This week I've been going to bed late every night. It's this damn game I'm playing. I just play and play and play.... and then it's midnight.

Gah, on that note, bed.

Stupid Internet

I freaking hate our internet connection. 2 weeks and we're over our cap. Again.

And this time I'm not taking the blame because I've been rationing dammit.

(I need to note that we are with XTRA - if you are looking to connect internet, go to Orcon DO NOT give money to Telescum)

Grrrr.

Smelly People

I had to sit next to a smelly person on the train today. I really hate it when that happens. I know some people have medical conditions, but it's a pretty easy set of rules:

Shower, DAILY, or TWICE daily if you have been sweating lots or are naturally smelly

Deoderant - use something that works. Sometimes things stop working, cycle through brands.

Brush your teeth twice a day

Really, the most important thing is showering. I can't understand people who don't shower every day. It's not like it takes long and it stops you smelling gross, and is especially important if you use public transport!

Old school fun

Yesterday I got this urge to play a game I used to play back in 99/2000 called Castle of the Winds. It's possibly the most basic yet annoyingly addictive game I've ever played. I've clocked it - several times - yet at random times I get the urge to go back and play it again.

I can't tell you where the urge came from but yesterday found me frantically Googling to try work out what it was called, until i realised that the easier option was to text my brother, who did indeed remember.

Another quick search and I had the full (legal) version of the game and I was away laughing... unfortunately 'laughing' seems to mean compulsively playing a computer game for hours on end.

This is why I've never played WOW.

Motorway

Today I drove from town to Sylvia Park on the motorway. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought. My teacher pointed out that if I was too far left the road would tell me - once he'd given me that information (which of course I knew, but didn't actually know) I was fine. Finer than fine - it was actually kinda fun!

The thing that tripped me up today (and there is always something, but I guess that's why I'm taking lessons) was roundabouts... the Panmure roundabout is not fun in the slightest.

That said, my 4 hours of lessons (so far) have given me way more confidence - once I hit 10 hours I think I'm going to be itching for a car to zip around in for sure!

That said, next week I'm going to be dreading my lesson, once again until it is over. Such a strange world.

Driving

Tomorrow is my fourth driving lesson.

I've found a pretty interesting phenomonen about my driving lessons. When I'm actually driving, I tend to enjoy it (although by the end I'm usually a bit frazzled and always relieved when it's over), afterwards I look forward to my next lesson, but the day before a lesson - and the hours leading up to it - I dread it.

That said, I know exactly why I'm doing this. Firstly I've got to the point where it's kinda pathetic I can't drive. There's a massive gap between choosing not to drive, and not being able to al all. Choosing not to is more meaningful if you actually know how.

Secondly I've decided to do a roadtrip this summer, taking in as much of the North Island as I can work out how. At this stage the dates are still up in the air - all I know is that my first stop needs to be Whangarei and I have to be in Gisborne on the 28th - the rest is a bit of a puzzle.

Thirdly, Auckland blows without a license. I have friends - it's just they live on completely different sides of the city and I never see them!

I will get a car for at least the Summer, but I'd like to think I'm going to sell it after my roadtrip is done and it's past it's usefulness. I really have no interest in driving all the time. There are great companies like City Hop, who I will probably join up with, who mean I can hire a car when i need one without having to pay for regos and warrants and all that stuff.

But for now - I'm dreading the lesson - and not just because I'm probably going to have to spend a great chunk of it on the motorway!

Giving blood

This weekend I thought I'd do something nice and give blood. I was pretty saddened to find out that the blood bank isn't open on the weekend - which makes me wonder if they're not causing their own problem to an extent?

I know for me the blood bank is too far away to bother with unless it was a weekend - even on a late night things come up and frankly, I'd rather do the mission in the semi-warm hours of daylight I have open to me.

I'm sure I'm not the only one - opening the blood bank from 11 to 4 on a Saturday would be worth it. I'd like to give blood (even though I just discovered that while I can receive blood from anyone I can only give it to other people of the same blood type - which makes it all a bit useless), but as sad as it is, I'm not going out of my way to do so.

I suspect others probably feel the same. As good as it is to donate blood, it's one of those things that has to fit in around other schedules to make more people do it. There are awesome people who regularly donate, and I applaud them, but rather than expensive ad campaigns, perhaps what the blood service should try is opening on a Saturday.

Just a thought.

Skinny Jeans

It isn't often I blog about fashion. Mostly because, as much as I appreciate good fashion, I just can't be bothered to care. That said, I do enjoy a good fashion bashing.

Today I have to ask - what the hell is up with skinny jeans?

They've been around a while, sure - on skinny girls, which is about the only place they look good - but over the last 6 months they've branched out big style and now the big girls are wearing them and, most frighteningly, so are the guys.

I've ignored this for a while, but I cannot ignore it any longer - guys, skinny jeans look awful on you. Awful. Gay guys can get away with them to a certain extent, but even they look bad.

I don't care how you think they accentuate your package - they make your legs look stupid and that far outweighs the size of your penis.

Stop wearing them, please, for the love of God make the skinny jean go away!!

Found plane

It seems they've found wreckage of Flight 447 over some of the world's deepest ocean - hearing that, I suddenly understand why I had visions of Lost survivors running through my head.

It's optimism.

I don't want to think that 228 people died - just crashed and vanished into a stretch of ocean that's 7kms deep.

I don't want to think about the horror of that moment, or what happened.

I want to think there was a purpose. That they didn't die randomly, that there was some further meaning to it, that it wasn't just an awful tragedy.

I wanted them to be alive.

Unfortunately, it looks like there are no survivors. No reason, no purpose.

The only parallels we can draw are of death, and disappearance, and a plane crash, over a vast stretch of ocean.

Lost plane

It's very sad that Air France flight 447 went down, losing so many people, but I know for a fact I'm not the only person thinking of Lost...

I think it's mostly do do with the fact that the plane hasn't been found at all.

Even though it's a tragedy of the highest order, I can't help thinking that Jack and Kate and Hurley and Sawyer are running around on some strange beach waiting for rescue.

Mad, I know... but it really is difficult to not draw the parallel.

The Lights of Auckland

I have to admit, since living in my old house in Mt Eden, I've developed a bit of a love for the lights on the Sky Tower.

When we went out on Friday night I was taken by the pretty, multi-coloured display going on. I was mocked a bit for my awe, but it really was cool - the colours moved (first time I'd seen that) and changed continuously (again, I'd never seen that happen either) - it's definitely the coolest thing I've ever seen the tower do.

Today, while reading the NZ Herald, I found out that the pretty was even environmentally friendly! Or, at least, friendlier than the last set of lights.

I'm quite looking forward to whatever else the Sky Tower has up it's sleeve now!