Monthly Archives: September 2010

30 Days of Me: Day 23 – Constant craving

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Day 23- Something you crave for a lot

If I correctly understand this confusing blog title, I think they mean I should tell you about something I crave a lot. This is a bit like people saying “I’m so excited for the concert” – that’s good darling, because the concert can’t be excited itself. 

Every day when it is time to get up I desperately wish I could have ‘just a few more minutes’ sleep. I’m happiest when I’ve had a good sleep in at least one weekend morning and ideally haven’t stayed up too late too many nights of the week. I crave more sleep, or at least more duvet time. It doesn’t matter if I’ve had the prescribed eight hours, I still never wake up bright eyed and ready to go – I’m more likely to start the day with a bad word than a good morning sunshine attitude. I don’t think it is a health issue, I think I’m just not a morning person. And to be honest, I think there is something unlikeable about morning people.

Are you like me? I would love to hear from anyone who has good ways of tricking themselves into early morning energy and cheerfulness. Really – suggestions on how to morning up my life would be great!

 

30 Days of Me: Day 22 – My eccentricities

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Samoa

Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else

 

It’s not my unusual appearance, because I’m exactly the average height of a NZ woman 5’ 4” and medium brown haired.

 

It’s not my incredibly good taste in music, shoes or friends – although these are spectacular.

 

It’s probably not even my beliefs, politics or childhood pets.

 

I think one thing that helped shape who I am is the two years I spent as the only palagi kid in my class at Richmond Road Primary in the 1980s. I was the unusual one and started discovering other cultures. It was the beginning of a worldview that knew that my culture wasn’t the only good one and that there are ideas and most importantly food from other places that are just as valid as mine. I wouldn’t claim to be the most adventurous person in the world, but I do like to see new places, taste new flavours and try to understand where people are coming from as well, I guess, as where they’re going.

 

I also learn that being not exactly the same as everyone else isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Working in the arts has just reinforced this and instead of toning down the eccentricities they seem to be blooming!

 

Photo of a wee adventure in Samoa a couple of years ago where I am bravely tasting the local fare…

30 Days of Me: Day 21 – You make me happy

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Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy   

Llamas and llama jokes make me really, really happy. Even a-llamingly llame llama jokes. I also  really love tigers, elephants and lions.

These llamas live at Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and if you can look at them and not laugh just a little bit at the absolute ridiculousness of them, then I’m afraid you may need professional help.

Some other things that always make me smile, in no particular order:
  • Unexpected cake
  • The view on my way home from work when the tide is in
  • Sunsets
  • Listening to favourite albums
  • Hot chips with aioli, perferably with wine and chats
  • A freshly made bed
  • A surprise invitation
  • Text messages about shoes

 

30 Days of Me: Day 20 – I’m sorry, what?

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Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future

Bahahahahaha. As if! Who the hell wrote this list of topics? The nosiest person in the universe? The biggest over-sharer there ever was? Or perhaps a combination of both with an added pinch of smug?

Unless you can find me a combination of Westley from The Princess Bride and Mr Darcy (Colin Firth 15 years ago, not that cheap imitation in the more recent version) then I don’t think I can help you with this question. If you can find the Darcy/Westley hybrid – rich, witty, loyal and heroic – that will do me just fine.

 

30 Days of Me: Day 19 – What’s in a name

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Note: I don’t think I’m nicknamed JC because I’m like this guy. I’m not that nice, but I do have cool initials.

Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them

Yeah – they’re all pretty obvious really… Jose, JC, Campbell (which is weird, because it makes me think of private boys schools and I never went to one). I’ve never had another nickname that stuck. Perhaps I just look like a Josie.

I also get called lil sis by one of my fake bros which is kind of nice actually.

 

30 Days of Me: Day 18 – Living the dream

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Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have

Um. For the moment I’ll settle with:

Today, I’m planning on going out to a friend’s birthday picnic. I dream of it being sunny and not raining. I aim to have some kind of hairdo that does not get ruined in the wind/rain that will inevitably ensure, because after all, this is Auckland.

30 Days of Me: Day 17 – Not really me

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Day 17 – Someone you would like to switch lives with for a day and why

Hmmm. I’ve thought about this for at least 30 seconds, and really I think it’d have to be… a man. So I can try to understand why they think the way they do. If I have to pick a person, I’m going to say Michael Parkinson. I saw his one man show last year, and can’t think of anyone else who has met the people he has, danced with Fred Astaire, survived ups and downs and kept on being entertaining like him.

As well as statesmen and performers, he spoke to people like Catherine Bramwell-Booth, an elderly lady who I think was more than a match of him. Like Parky, I’d like to find all kinds of people totally fascinating and to be able to have a conversation with absolutely anyone.

30 Days of Me: Day 16: Me again! Yawn.

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Coffeemaker

Day 16- Another picture of yourself

 

I appear to have an affinity for number related challenges. This photo is at the very end of my Twitter Challenge for the 40 Hour Famine in May. It had a very simple premise – I had to leave my house at 8pm Friday night with no transport or money and survive on the kindness of Twitter for 40 Hours. There was so much support that I ended up pre-booking stuff. I had some treats and challenges, and the photo is from the last six hours when I was Lou’s assistant at the Takapuna Markets from the dark of 6am until midday. It was fun but exhausting – I’m impressed by the people who do this all week… especially be polite to strangers first thing in the morning. I didn’t actually make coffee, but this photo makes it look like I did. Maybe?

 

The challenge was one of the best things I’ve ever done. The support was tremendous – I raised, with the help of amazing sponsors and some generous donations to auction off, $3487.50 for World Vision. It is good to do something outside your comfort zone every now and then, and even better if it helps raise money for a good cause. I hadn’t thought about it for ages, so coming across this photo made me remember the mad weekend I had and the kindness of friends and strangers. Choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

30 Days of Me: Day 15: Moody music shuffle

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Day 15- Put your iPod on shuffle: First 10 songs that play
  1. Pavement – Loretta’s Scars
  2. The Reindeer Section – Whodunnit?
  3. The Killers – A Dustland Fairytale
  4. Coldplay – Death and All His Friends
  5. Regina Spektor – 20 Years of Show
  6. Echo & The Bunnymen – Empire State Halo
  7. The Futureheads – A to B
  8. Athlete – Westside
  9. Graham Coxon – Freakin’ Out
  10. The XX – Crystalised
I still have a soft spot for The Reindeer Section, even after something like eight years. Their song/video You Are My Joy will always be one that makes my heart feel warm.

30 Days of Me: Day 14 – Whanau

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Mum

Day 14- A picture of you and your family

This is a photo of my mum and I, self taken by me a few Christmases ago at my favourite place in Hamilton, the Hamilton Gardens. They’re lovely and I like going there when I visit mum.

I gave her a copy of this in a frame – people seemed to think it was a strange photo to give but I really liked it.

Mum is the only member of my immediate family in NZ. I have a brother who was in Madrid last Wednesday, but has just taken himself and his guitar on tour, so could be having adventures anywhere by now.

Hamilton. Lisa Lewis for mayor. Really?