ambidextrous without a pen

Been busy the past couple of days (this PLUS the fact that I can't access my account for reasons unknown) that I wasn't able to post any entries. But as they, its nice to be back and I do hope everything (blog-wise) will be back to normal as well.

I'm still in the process of chronicling my wonderful trip to NZ. In my most recent post (prior to this one) you may have noticed my mentioning of Te Papa Museum. In a nutshell, Te Papa ("Our Place" in Maori) is the national museum and art gallery of New Zealand located in, where else? Wellington. The building which currently houses the museum was opened in February 14, 1998 while its predecessor, The Colonial Museum was founded in 1865.

Since I love visiting galleries and museums, I've made it to a point to drop by Te Papa when I went to NZ.

Preschoolers all lined up for a field trip.

A sea of people at the lobby of the museum.

Few of the pieces that greeted me upon entering Te Papa and in case you're wondering, picture taking is very much allowed. A far-cry from most museums back in Manila.

A Waharoa or gateway that was carved especially for the New Zealand International Exhibition held in Christchurch (1906-1907)

Caption from the waharoa with Cliff Whiting, a tohunga toi/artist whose photo reminds me of director Pedro Almadovar.

A canon which has been submerged for 200 years but looking good as new.

One section of Te Papa devoted to its flora and fauna.

A display depicting New Zealand's vast wildlife.

The Silver Fern (Ponga is Maori for fern) which has became a symbol of New Zealand and its people.

One thing very noticeable about Te Papa (at least for me) is the fact that they like to display items that are "BIG". From Giant ammonite.....

.....to Colossal squid.

I'm still thinking how many calamari can be made from this one.

Me with a Waka, a canoe used by the Maoris.

A section of Te Papa which is about early migration and features stories of migrants and their families who found New Zealand as their new home.

Tried my navigating and decision making skills with this interactive game.

And I'm happy to report that I'm a potential Captain. :)

That's it for now. More stories and photos soon. :)

Friday, September 9, 2011

Wellington Part 2: Downtown

Cue in Petula Clark. :)

Wellington, as described by folks from Lonely Planet, is the "Coolest Little Capital in the World." Though my stay there was a brief one, I couldn't help but agree. Everything seems close and can be accessed within walking distance. Heard in a TV feature that you can actually explore the whole of Wellington within a day. (I'm yet to find this one out. :)

Flag-like banners such as these were all over the city. The World of Wearable Art (WOW) is such a huge event that draws lots of crowds from all over NZ as well as overseas.

Views of downtown Wellington which reminds me of Chicago and NYC. Speaking based on what I saw from TV shows and films.

Not sure what this is, but they flash updates for the Rugby World Cup from time to time in one of those screens.

View of the TSB Bank Arena where the show was held. (FYI it runs until the 10th of this month.)

View of the seaside en route to Te Papa Museum.

A bit of Africa in the City. "Grasslands" found near Te Papa Museum.

I also like the fact that the little ones were also taken into consideration and given emphasis.

What I like most about Wellington is the fact that it makes ART available to everyone. Apart from the museums and galleries, they seem to have integrated ART into everyday life. Take for instance this view of what I call as "Three Mirrored Eggs" which is actually a sculpture outside Te Papa Museum.

Its not really surprising to see strange looking structures such as this one (A restroom if my memory was right) all over the city. And yes the act of recycling is very much practiced. :)

An artwork which was integrated within the building.

Those brown colored heads are actually sculptures in form of a silhouette.

Well that's it for now. More photos and stories later. :)

Monday, September 5, 2011

Just a Thought

"I don't understand this marathon of fashion. Today, designers are expected to produce work that is bigger, better, faster and - these days - cheaper. A singer can quit once he or she has made ten great songs, a director can finish once he or she has made five amazing films, a writer just needs to write three great books. Now let's look at designers - they produce six to eight shows a year, most designers have a 20-year-long career, so I need to create about 250 collections in that time. Not even Danielle Steel could write 250 books."

-Alber Elbaz quoted in vogue.co.uk, Sept. 5, 2011.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

What's that sound? Pt.2

Its from an actual bagpiper. Apologies for the bad angle though.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

What's that sound?

OK enough of photos for now I'd say. I was making a mad dash to one function when I overheard something. For a moment I thought it was a recording, but no. Can you identify what it is? :)

Friday, September 2, 2011

Wellington Part 1

As promised here's the first installment of my photos taken during my trip to Wellington.

Took this outside the international airport in Auckland while waiting for the bus en route to the domestic terminal where I took the plane bound for Wellington.

Heading to my host's place after we met at Wellington airport.

View from the window of my host's place. Imagine waking up to this kind of view every single day for the rest of you life. Beautiful and priceless I'd say.