Guts

08 December 2008: Feast of the Immaculate Conception at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Auckland.

Reminds me of the joke: I've been Catholic since I was conceived...

image from: robertevans_com

Transport

07 December 2008: I've been counting the numbers of bicycles I've seen in Auckland's city streets.

Fredette, my Auckland host, counts the numbers of people we see walking barefoot in the city.

She wins.

image from: sadie shooter

Vocal

06 December 2008: Alicia Keys concert in Auckland.

Soul - oh, duet - with her backup man, and trio - with me. What a musical feast!

image from: stuff

Feet Tucker

04 December 2008: Sailing on the R. Tucker Thompson tall ship in the Bay of Islands.

image from: jackie

Trust

03 December 2008: My official tour guide at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds is informative, engaging, and concise. Tick, tick, tick.

We arrive at the flagpole marking the site where the treaty was signed between Maori and the British Crown. Tick, Tick.

Our guide glosses over controversy related to the treaty. Tick.

I ask: What is it like here on Waitangi Day? Boom.

image from: jackie

Engagement

09 August 2008: Happy engagement Jen and John!

On Saturday, 9 August, 2008
John _ _,
from Bradford, West Yorkshire proposed to
Jennifer _ _, from Los Angeles, CA
whilst on the top of the London Eye to which she happily accepted.

The couple have been living together in Guildford, Surrey and look forward to beginning to plan their wedding.

image from: jennifer

Feet Traction

Mountain biking in Lake Clearwater with Tall.

Image from: jackie

Clearwater

02 August 2008: I was told my mountain bike ride around Lake Clearwater was a true New Zealand outdoor pursuit adventure.

Getting lost, bush bashing, bike bashing, extreme, and in-stream.

My rear gears broke and I was stuck huffing and puffing uphill or spinning my wheels downhill. We even attempted mountain biking through snow...

Needless to say, I had a blast!

Image from: jackie

Vigilante

24 August 2008: Last week, Christchurch welcomed the 6th most powerful woman in the world of 2004, US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

This week, the Auckland University Students Association is offering a $5000 reward for a citizen's arrest of the 1st most powerful woman in the world of 2004, US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.