Musings

This is a picture of some sand art from the Diwali festival on the waterfront on Sunday.  We really didn't partake that much of the festival, unfortunately, because we were hungry and tired and the lines were too long, but we did get to see this sand sculpture which was part of the celebration, so I thought I'd share.

For me, this was not so much a week about seeing new things; it was more about listening and reflecting.  We went to hear two of the concerts of the NZ Symphony Orchestra which were part of their Brahmissimo series (all four Brahms symphonies and some other works on four consecutive nights).  My long-suffering husband also accompanied me to a lecture by a woman Australian process theologian entitled, "Seeking the Sacred in a Multi-faith World."  Nothing too new there, but a good synthesis.  Probably the most memorable quote for me was one from Ravi Shankar in which he intimated that in interfaith conversation we are seeking to create "harmony" by listening for common values and "playing our own instruments" as well as we can.

Actually, the highlight of my week was meeting with two other women who are also trying to write short stories and reading a little of our work to each other.  The mutual encouragement is great;  plus, we reflect about our perspectives on life here and in the U.S.  Partly in response to the lecture, I have been thinking about NZ spirituality.  These new friends kindly let me offer up my theories, without taking offense, and gave some feedback.  Though I have sometimes heard Kiwis say they feel they are a secular society, I do find that they have a deep spirituality in their feeling of connection to the earth:  to the land and the sea.  Though the roots of this among the Maori seem very clear, as with other indigenous peoples, the sense of connection and the need to care for the earth and all of its creatures seems widespread among those of European descent (pakeha) also.  At least more so than in the U.S.

Perhaps that is one reason why people in general seem so distressed in the past week's environmental disaster.  The Rena, a cargo ship carrying hazardous material in addition to its own fuel, struck the Astrolabe reef in the Bay of Plenty and is leaking oil.  Local people are frustrated that assistance from the government seems slow and are taking it upon themselves to begin clean-up of the beaches and are attempting to rescue and clean the birds and seals who are now covered in oil. Sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it?  Sad to think that this kind of disaster seems to be becoming more and more common.

On a lighter note:  the All-Blacks prevailed over their arch-rivals the Wallabies in the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup.  (Some say rugby is the true religion of NZ.)  So the AB's will play France in the final match next weekend, and there is great joy in the land :-).

I did do a little exploring between showers this week.  Took a long walk and ducked back into Te Papa for a dry respite.  Talked with John about the NZ history exhibit, and we went back to view it this weekend in more depth with special interest in the section devoted to Maori history.  We were able to take off our shoes and go into the Maori meetinghouse that is part of the exhibit, and it was quietly powerful and awe-inspiring.

  Another day I was on my way back from the library and had the camera, so I took this picture of the boatsheds at Oriental Bay.

Got drenched multiple times and caught cold during the week, so we took things a little easy over the weekend.  We did visit the Weta cave, home of Lord of the Rings, in Miramar, just down the road.  Sadly, I had left the camera at home, so I did not get a picture of John with Gollum, but I plan to remedy that in the future, when Tom and Janine visit.  Stopped at Maranui, the surf club in Kilbirnie (where John works) for lunch.  I had a fab sandwich of roast pumpkin, feta and rocket (arugula) with pesto on spelt (yum).  Walked away from town to Karaka Bay Sunday afternoon to enjoy a period of sun and enjoyed ice cream on the waterfront. Was cheered by talking with Anna and Claire about their birthday celebrations and by good emails from a number of you.  Feeling better now and ready for the week ahead.