It was a lovely winter's day today. And it is Matariki - the official start of the Maori New Year 2020. Like Easter, the date changes every year. Celebrations last for three days.
Matariki is the Māori name for the group of seven stars known as Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters.
It is also said that Matariki are the ‘eyes of the god’. When Ranginui, the sky father, and Papatūānuku, the earth mother, were separated by their children the god of wind, Tāwhirimātea, became angry, tearing out his eyes and hurling them into the heavens.
Matariki appears
in the eastern sky sometime around the shortest day of the year, and is
thought to determine how successful the harvest crop will be in the
coming season. The brighter the stars, the more productive the crop will be.
The night sky tonight is as clear as a bell with the stars shining bright. But Matariki doesn't appear above the horizon until the early hours of morning in the north east sky. So I am unlikely to see it! If I was at Omaha I would get up especially, but here in Auckland, that part of the sky is below a ridge and would require me to walk up to the road to potentially get a glimpse. I am not going to do that at 5am!
So here's a photo of tonight's twlight, taken from our deck just before I headed out for the evening. It was more stunning in real life.
 |
Looking north-west at 6pm tonight
|
Today was a work day, focussing on several projects.
I have nearly finalised the horrifically complex process of transferring my UK pension over to NZ - it is definitely worth doing but oh what a fiasco. There are still quite a few more hoops to go but today I made great progress. (This is from a private pension fund I was part of in my 20s when working for IPPF in London).
Some more work around the imminent launch of my Travel Companion Services - thanks to Michelle guiding me along nicely. Watch this space!
And then a Zoom meeting around the Epsom Girls Grammar School Old Girls Association (of which I'm Co-President) 100th Anniversary next year. We'd done a bit of planning but, since Covid, we've simplified the celebrations somewhat. It feels do-able and should be successful - to be held in March 2021. Will have to ramp up planning activities - March next year is not that far away!
Tonight I met some friends at a pub across town - we had a delicious meal and lovely catch up. And what I have to declare the best crispy chicken burger I think I've ever tasted. And what's even better, it's only $6 if you order before 7pm. We were there around 6.30. Bingo.
Then, around 8pm, Grace Kelly - the young girl who was in my girl band I worked with 8 years ago, who is making waves in the music scene - came out to play. I've mentioned her in a couple of previous posts. Tonight was the official launch of her new EP and she sang all the songs off it, and some extras. She had some great band musicians, including the drummer from the acclaimed Kiwi band Six60. It was great. She's a happy, talented young lady and I'm so proud of where she's got to and where she's going.
 |
Grace with her Dad Brian - getting ready to go on stage
|
 |
Grace with her Mum Vicki - after the performance
|
 |
Grace in action
|
SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Perspective ...
People are absconding from isolation and quarantine (one is stricter than the other and certain hotels designated for the latter). It's not good and being dealt with. It brings plenty of public, political and press furore.
But I don't see anything like this level of furore when it comes to the huge problems in this country around drugs, domestic violence, child abuse, bullying, youth suicide etc. While these people should not be escaping from quarantine, perspective is required. The stats around the former issues are actually much worse than the stats around Covid.
Now that people are escaping, some poor bugger has to stand by an ugly makeshift fence in the freezing cold, hour after hour, doing absolutely nothing but make sure some idiot doesn't leap over it.
Comments
Post a Comment