Photos and false starts

Of course, I did not take this picture.  Saturday we went to a photography show with the winners of the International Photo Journalists awards for 2010.  Most news is not good news, of course, and the pictures showed a lot of suffering and mayhem, but I think they did create a response of compassion, so I guess that's the point.  The winning photo is this one of a beautiful young Muslim woman who had been disfigured by men who felt she was behaving disrespectfully; they had cut off her nose and ears, but she is dressed beautifully, and you can still see her beauty--very disturbing, provoking both outrage and sadness.

On a lighter note, one of my favorites was of Kim Jong-Il of N. Korea, looking dubiously at his heir; it's just a moment, but you can tell by his expression he doesn't think the kid is up for it.

To continue to update you on our activities:  Saturday night we went out to dinner for our anniversary (34!) to Ortega Fish Shack.  It was good.  Restaurant food seems very expensive to us, but it's a little deceptive since Kiwi dollars are worth about $.82 U.S. and because there is no tipping.

Sunday we followed what has become our ritual of meeting, then the open air market to get a roti and buy our veggies for the week.  This week:  leeks, spinach, broccoli.  Afterwards, we took a drive around the coast.  We saw signs to watch for them, but we didn't see any little blue penguins.  Apparently, they cross the road when the come out of the sea in the evening.  We did see two cormorants, a black shag and a little shag (very funny looking, sort of like he is wearing a toupee).  Have heard but not seen the tui (their mockingbird).  Lots of flowers blooming--including calla lilies and tiny irises and pulmonaria.  Right across the street there is a very steep stairway up to a greenway that leads to the Mt. Victoria lookout.  We haven't gone that far yet, but we'll check it out before long.

Today was supposed to be my volunteer orientation at the hospital (above), but my trainer was MIA.  Turns out she had a family emergency, so I will go back tomorrow so that I can work on Thurs.  By the end of the week, I may get pretty good at riding the bus.  I did get an i.d. made and was issued a uniform which, to John's disappointment, was neither pink nor candy-striped.  Was helped looking for my bus stop by a young Malaysian student from Victoria University who is working her way thru by working as a maid at a motor lodge in Newtown across from the hospital and just next door to our old home, the Southgate.  It is fortunate that people tend to be kind and helpful since I need a lot of help. :-)