Old man

We've all seen this BEAUTIFUL scene:

 
(And if not, you should!)
While watching 'Up" the other day, it reminded me of this short film I had seen,
and loved.

Look at my life
I'm a lot like you were...

Book Sculpture

 One dream of mine is to one day own a magnificent bookshelf

 filled with all sorts of books and things,
 from poetry and literature, to architecture and design...

And I will fill the gaps with wonderful book sculptures...
like these ones!

 

 

 

If only I was creative enough to make incredible things like these,
I might be able to save a little money.
Until that day, it's just one dream :D

The Giving Tree

A mini life lesson from 1973:

You can never be satisfied by taking  all someone has to give, 

but giving is the key to true happiness.

"As Timothy P. Jackson, a former professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University put it:  

Is this a sad tale? Well, it is sad in the same way that life is depressing. We are all needy, and, if we are lucky and any good, we grow old using others and getting used up. Tears fall in our lives like leaves from a tree. Our finitude is not something to be regretted or despised, however; it is what makes giving (and receiving) possible. The more you blame the boy, the more you have to fault human existence. The more you blame the tree, the more you have to fault the very idea of parenting. Should the tree's giving be contingent on the boy's gratitude? If it were, if fathers and mothers waited on reciprocity before caring for their young, then we would all be doomed."

Dedicate

 My dear friend Kriston wrote this beautiful song for the people affected by the Christchurch earthquake last year. Such a talented guy, I'm sure he will go far!

You can check out his facebook music page here and his youtube channel here.

Eat

I never intended to write about food.

But I did intend to eat, a lot,

and begin new habits

such as home cooking.

Tonight's fun food was bacon and potato bake.

Something which I knew was easy and hard to screw up.

And I'm stoked with the outcome.

Not the most beautiful dish, I tried to glam it up with a wee garnish of basil..

hah.

I like to think of it as a success. 

A very yummy, easy, unfortunate looking success.

To Learn

In my attempt to be smarter, more cultured, and generally more aware individual,

I have started to learn more.

One day I will be a writer, 

or a journalist,

I havn't worked out the kinks yet....

But when I am, It will be important that I know things.

So I start here.

At Open Culture.

It's wonderful. 

At present I am in the process of learning about aesthetics and philosophy, the English language, and landscape photography, through free online courses from around the world.

I am also constantly dwelling in many free films and docos.

I love this website. 

I love this idea.

It helps me want to know.

And it makes me love to learn.

Try it.

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

The Power of Social Media

Watch it

Share it

Support it

Irish Bucket List

- Visit the zoo

-Visit Zealandia

- Kayaking

- Somes island

- Scorching bay

- Walk the town belt

- Wander around the bays

- Find the Wellington quote plaques 

- Visit Brooklyn wind turbine

- Go to Mt Vic at night

- Eat fish and chips

-Swimming at OBay

- Go the the cricket at the Basin

- Go to a game at the Cake Tin

- Interislander to Picton

- Mini golf in Picton

- Flying fox at central part, Brooklyn

- Lasertag

- Bowling and drinking at lanez

- Happy Valley mini golf

- Climb the trippy tree

- Have a picnic

- Celebrate St Paddys day

- Crocodile bike & paddle boats

- Eat at 1841

- Picnic on the roof of the boat sheds

- Crafty Quiz

- Send a message in a bottle

- Go to the tire swing

- Blow bubbles on the waterfront

It is our plan to finish this exciting list before my lovely Irish friends Aine and Sarah skip town. :(

Wish us luck :D

Wonderful Silence

Alice inWonderland, 1903

This creative and beautiful silent film by Cecil M. Hepworth and Percy Stow, over 100 years ago, was the first movie adaptation of the ever popular 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll.

"Only one copy of the original film is known to exist and parts are now lost. The British Film Institute partially restored the movie and its original film tinting and released it on February 24, 2010"

We are so lucky that we have the technology now that we are able to restore and share such incredible film.

To be Kiwi

 

I have many excuses up my sleeve to explain why I have been so absent and lazy lately, 

but none of them would really make any difference. 

As a "weather-bomb" sweeps across the North Island, I sit here curled up on my maroon red couch, covered by my lime green polar fleece blanket, nursing a cup of hot lemon and honey, hoping for a quick recovery of this damn flu. 

As the beginning of my final semester of uni creeps up to me I can't help but drift in and out of thought about where my summer went...

Sure, there were some hot sun-filled days, a couple of great road-trips, a day or two at the beach,

but my main memories are of rain, wind, and dark skies

(which may have had a lot to do with staying inside with my fractured ankle during the nicest week of the summer).

One of my favourite moments of recent summer was when my dear friend Meg, and her lovely sister Steph, became official Kiwis.

It was wonderful.

The ceremony was beautiful.

So many different people from many countries and cultures all gathering to be a part of this beautiful country. 

 I didn't even notice that the ceremony could have been a tad more exciting, I was far too excited and busy being snap happy, trying to document this special day for those beautiful girls. 

 

Congratulations again :D

xx

I Want To Do This

Natures Art

This image has popped up too many times to count during my recent internet rampages.

"In a tiny corner of western Poland a forest of about 400 pine trees grow with a 90 degree bend at the base of their trunks - all bent northward. Surrounded by a larger forest of straight growing pine trees this collection of curved trees, or "Crooked Forest," is a mystery.

Planted around 1930, the trees managed to grow for seven to 10 years before getting held down, in what is understood to have been human mechanical intervention. Though why exactly the original tree farmers wanted so many crooked trees is unknown"
- Discovery News 

  Other myths tell of  a heavy snowstorm which buried the saplings for some time before growing straight again.

Whichever the case, 

this forest is definitely now on my "I want to go there" list. 

3D art

I have found myself in a situation involving a cast and crutches.

So what else to do with a broken ankle than watch heaps of movies, surf the internet, read my books, watch the entire series of Go Girls....

and it's only day 5.

Point is, during my internet surfing I came across some amazing images of 3D street art..

and I thought it was worth sharing.

Performance Poetry

I love wasting time on TED.

I feel like it's not wasting time when I'm learning.

This is about the third time I've listened to this particular talk from Sarah Kay.

It's inspiring.

So I'm sharing it with you.

and this one too...

Lady Bird

In my current read, and major inspiration, the author has a poetic and wonderful description of a ladybug. (in only a single paragraph, yet it inspired me)

"How well our little earth-ball of red life hid its ability to fly! It escapes from its sphere as from a hole. Perhaps up in the blue sky it, too, experiences sudden awareness that it is itself... And we find it hard to stop dreaming before the spectacle of this little shell that suddenly starts to fly."

(Poetics of Space, Gaston Bachelard)

I havn't seen a ladybug in a very long tme, but I do have young memories of getting such wonderful joy from a single, tiny, beautiful insect. The joy comes from that moment when it reveals its wings and flys off into the distance, after a large adventure over the curvy terrain of your hands wrinkles.

They are a symbol of protection and love due to their vibrant red colour and their protective nature and care for your gardens. Also a symbol of good luck. If found, it is said they will bring you good fortune.

All this from a tiny little shelled critter.

Most probably my favourite insect in this world.



Film and I

"When the image is new the world is new."

Gaston Bachelard

These are a select few photos from my first holga experience.

I love this new hobbie. And I can't wait to experiment more with the camera and its effects.

I would like to start a project where I would pick an object and find these things around the city, or wherever I happen to be, and take a photo of them on my holga.

Only problem is, I cant come up with an object.

- Umbrellas (would include those large deck umbrellas outside of cafes etc.)

- The colour red.

- Bottles. (Although this could look like trash. But then, could trash look beautiful)

So as you can tell, I dont have too many ideas. I would love your imput.

Please help.