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 |  is paved with good intentions... |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Hi, I'm Elle. I'm based in Auckland, New Zealand. I'm the mother of two young adults, the wife of an entrepreneurial gamer and the Queen of Unfinished Projects. This blog will contain poems, short stories, possibly photos and book reviews if you're lucky, and my thoughts on a variety of topics. Hope you enjoy it. |
[Embed For Use By Upgraded+] What's The Time, Mr Wolf? by Southside of Bombay When I was 14, the movie Once Were Warriors was released. It was the first major New Zealand movie. Not the first movie filmed in New Zealand, but the first distinctly New Zealand film. It was based on a novel by Alan Duff about an urban Maori family who struggled with domestic violence. We had to study the film for English in high school, and it was incredibly confronting. It features rape, pedophilia, suicide, homelessness, gangs and alcoholism, as well as the aforementioned domestic violence. I found watching it to be an incredibly uncomfortable experience. Does that make it a good movie? I don't know. I don't like it, but I don't think we're meant to. This song featured in the movie, and that always gives it a dark undertone despite the 'perkiness' of the music. That dark undertone actually suits the song, because despite the nonsense lyrics that don't seem to say anything, it's apparently a protest song.  The lyricist intended it to reference the fact that time is slipping away from us. Hidden in the music video are newspaper headlines, a giant spider crawling up the Beehive (NZ's parliamentary building), etc. referencing controversial issues such as racism, the use of nuclear power, etc. Despite all that, it is a catchy tune, and it's super easy to catch yourself singing along to it in the car.  |
| 1.) Go to the Community Newsfeed and comment on the post of a member you do not know. "Note: I've added a new entry to my book, [Link To I..." How have LdyPhoenix  and I both been here so long without coming across each other before now? Or have we, and I've just forgotten?  Well, I've favourited her now, so look out!  2.) Go to the Blog Board and comment on a blog you haven't read before.
Mona shared Pavarotti in her blog for the Barrel o' Monkeys activity, which means that I instantly love her blog. Yes! I should have thought of doing opera/classical myself, that would have been epic. And probably easier than the hour I spent trying to make other artists connect. I feel bad that Mona's been blogging since 2011 and I've apparently been oblivious all this time.  Sorry, Mona! We've even been doing some of the same blogging activities! Ah well, better late than never?3.) How would a life where you regularly stepped outside your comfort zone be different than a life where you never did? ~ "30-Day Blogging Challenge ON HIATUS"  Well, a life where you regularly step outside your comfort zone is bound to be broader and filled with more interesting and unique experiences. When you stay in your comfort zone, by definition you are restricting yourself to things you're familiar with, so you're not discovering new things and experiencing new things. Certainly not to the same extent, anyway. I love learning new things, discovering new things, trying new things and having new experiences. Which is not to say that I don't love my comfort zone, because I really really do, but I need that balance. Growing up, I was reasonably adventurous. I used to say that my motto was 'I'll try anything once'. Those of you who are long-time readers will be thinking 'Wait, isn't she the girl from the country with, like, zero life experience?' Yes, that's true. But that's more a lack of opportunity than a lack of courage in stepping out of my comfort zone. This idea of stepping out of my comfort zone and having new experiences took root, and I decided to make a resolution to try something new every year. Every year I would make sure I'd stepped out of my comfort zone in one way or another. Some years have been more adventurous than others, but I do try... Here are some examples of things I never would have experienced if I hadn't stepped out of my comfort zone... 2019  Ate waffles Made (and ate) a smoothie bowl2018 Tried chocolate vodka Made cheddar cheese Saw a baby owl Went on a 'hop on hop off' bus Went to Manila Gave a speech at a wedding Had a freakshake2017 Went to a cat cafe Bet on a horse race Tried kimchi Tried kombucha2016 Made pumpkin soup from scratch. Submitted poems to a publisher. Went ten pin bowling. Read a eulogy at a funeral2015 Attempted (and successfully completed) NaPoWriMo. Saw a New Zealand falcon. Sold a house. Went to Snow Planet.2014 Went to Scotland. Went to a whisky distillery. Saw puffins. Held an owl. Held an eagle. Stayed in a castle. Became a moderator on Writing.com. Wrote a site newsletter for Writing.com. Ate haggis (and enjoyed it!). Bought an ebook. Wrote a prose poem.2013 Went to Ninety Mile Beach. Went to Cape Reinga. Made feta cheese from scratch. Met my cousin Greg and his wife Heidi. Sponsored a child through World Vision. Went to a fashion show. Taught my children how to make butter.2012 Bought a boat. Attempted NaNoWriMo. Went prawn fishing. 2011 Made pasta from scratch. Made a chilled soup. Made lemon curd. Had high tea at a fancy hotel. Wore a fascinator. Drank homemade limoncello. Cooked Yorkshire parkin. Made a gift for my child's teacher. Ate something frozen with liquid nitrogen! Wrote to the author of a book I enjoyed...and got a reply! Drank Irn Bru (and hated it). Went to Kai Iwi Lakes. Joined a photographic society. Did the Worldwide Photo Walk.2010 Flew business class. Went to Sydney, Australia. Walked over the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Saw bats in the wild. Went to Candyland. Made french onion soup from scratch. Did a photography course. Had 'glamour photos' taken of me! Ate caviar. Ate venison. Went to Waiheke Island.2009 Rode on the back of a (two wheeled) motorbike. Made 'toad in the hole'. Ate ostrich meat. Ate duck. Made gingernuts from scratch. Was an official photographer at a wedding. Went on a 'wine trail'. 2008 Saw dolphins swimming. Experienced the hot water at Hot Water Beach. Volunteered for charity. Travelled on business. Caught a turtle. Went on a plane all by myself. Stayed in a hotel all by myself. Made sushi. Held a crocodile. Ate corn bread. Ate huevos rancheros. Saw Aboriginal rock art. Ate chapatis. Grew (and ate) vegetables in my very own vegetable garden. 2007 Sent a card and letter to a child at Make A Child Smile. Rang the poison centre. Went to a 'crop' (where you do scrapbooking with a bunch of other people). Went to Tauranga. Made pea and ham soup from scratch. Completed a diploma. Went on the Waitakere Rainforest Express. Went to Butterfly Creek.2006 Went to a parent/teacher interview...as a parent. Interviewed my children.2005 Bought a house! Had an elective caesarean. Took paid maternity leave. Owned a digital camera. 2004 Cried at a wedding. 2003 Got married. Claimed on my insurance policy. Became an aunt. 2002 Drank Diet Coke. Made jam. Joined a social club committee. Organised a wedding. Became a preferred author on Writing.com. Experienced a civil defence emergency.2001 Went to Wellington. Threw a 21st birthday party. Went on an impromptu road trip. Started a blog. Went to antenatal classes. Experienced labour pains. Became a mother. Named a child. Made a scrapbook. Became a godparent. Joined Writing.com (it was called Stories.com back then). Joined Weight Watchers2000 Got engaged. Got pregnant. Experienced morning sickness. Had an ultrasound. 1999 Moved out of home. Tried marijuana (and hated it). Drove an automatic car (ie. not a manual/stick shift). Went to church regularly. Smoked a cigarette. Got drunk. |
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