Two Americans emigrate to New Zealand from Colorado,
USA.
We talk about
our life in Nelson, New Zealand.
March 2010 | Blog home | May 2010
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A story I found interesting about some young children misbehaving on an airplane is only really kind of news because, beyond being a slow news day, one of the people involved is a member of parliament. The full story from the NZ Herald doesn't really report anything beyond the viewpoint of the two involved. More interesting is the parents blog and the comments from others that result - worth a read.
Now I've been on my fair share of flights with children and have seen the good and the bad. Hard to know who is telling the truth but I think a little bit of both. Clint (the dad) is most likely understating how his children were reacting. It's a given, parents typically don't see it or just write it off the them being kids. So this guy brings his 3 young children ( 4, 3, and 2 - yikes) on the plane and he feels they aren't doing anything out of the ordinary - maybe so but the ordinary is probably still pretty annoying to others.
As Mr Heine states on his blog: "The flight takes off, my kids make a bit of noise. The usual kid stuff, no one blinks (except a muffled rumbling behind .....seat 3F) My kids can perform, you may have heard them! But tonight they were fine. The odd squawk a few yells and disagreements but nothing that your average person on a short domestic flight could dismiss undercover of an insipid tea, a packet of crisps and a magazine."
"The usual kid stuff, no one blinks" - NEWSFLASH, i'm almost 100% positive someone did more than blink. Eye roll, knowing gaze to others, etc. First clue this guy is not overly aware or concerned with those around him.
"My kids can perform, you may have heard them! But tonight they were fine." - yeah, ok. maybe you should have left out the first sentence. Picture getting clearer.
"The odd squawk a few yells and disagreements" - yep, thought so. I'm already annoyed with them and I'm not on the plane.
So the MP admits to saying something but how much and how loud are in question. I highly doubt he yelled at the kids - we probably would have heard from others if that was the case. People are usually very (overly) tolerant of children, because they are children, and very rarely do you see people go off on the kids. I've seen people speak to parents before about their children's behavior and that seems to be taboo. Parents always get so defensive - you can never question how they are parenting, that's for sure. I really don't care so much about how they are parenting, I would just like kids to behave a bit in public. It can happen, I've seen it. Let your kids scream at home.
As I see it, it's an over sensitive parent who did a bit of complaining, posts about it on his blog and somehow it gets picked up by local media. Again, check out the comments on the guys blog - they go all over the place. Funny.
The epic saga continues. The story just popped so I figured I'd add a quick update. Seems the Crown is now looking to collect $1.1 million in damages from this crew. Not sure of the point of all this but do these guys look like they have $1.1 million? Or even $10 between them? 
As reported in the NZ Herald, they said, "If they are going after Father Peter, Sam and myself, our combined personal wealth is probably under $1000. Peter's got some loose change, I think I've got $400 in my bank account, and Sam, I think he keeps his money under his mattress and it's only a matter of hundreds." Seems like a big waste of time. Here's the full story of this continuing saga.
Photo by Tim Cuff
The debate about freedom camping has been raging for a couple of years now. Freedom campers are those who are make their way around the country by camping from place to place using public land for free. There are a couple of types of campers: those using fully equipped motor homes and those that use modified cars or vans that are not fully equipped. For simplicity sake, let's just say fully equipped means you have an on board toilet.
In recent years, many companies have gotten into the freedom camping business by outfitting small vans or large cars with sleeping gear and even mini stoves. Renters using these vehicles to see the country have been pulling up to any park and sleeping over night on the side of the road - whether legal or not. In many parts of the country, parking on the roadside is illegal. Most communities have designated areas for overnight parking, including campgrounds with facilities.
The term 'freedom camper' is now being tarnished; some tourists using the modified, under equipped vehicles ... to be blunt ... are leaving their shit and other defacations on the roadside and in parks, sometimes alongside lakes that provide water supply to cities.
Nice, huh?
Watch this video from TVNZ's Close Up programme this past week.
STOP SHITTING ON OUR ROADS AND PARKS!! If you come into this country and you want to camp your way around it, pay attention to the freaking rules and leave the place the way you found it!!! We don't want your shit by the side of the road, OK? Especially polluting our water sources. Do I do that when I come visit your home? NOOO. Do YOU do that in your home country??? NOOO. Use a freaking toilet, what is the problem here?
I know I'm speaking to a small minority, but it's worth making a stink about it to get the message across. Nelson is one of the places really struggling with the issue, but Queenstown is getting hit hard, as you can see from the video.
Freedom campers who play by the rules are getting painted with the broad brush, and rules are going to start being put into place all around the country limiting the very benefits you seek by camping freely.
Don't ruin our country for all of us, campers and residents alike. BEHAVE!
More info on Nelson City Council's website. (Plug: I wrote this)
Wollies, spinnaker, trim, leech hook, jib...a few terms I'm now familar with. Familiar in the sense I've heard them but not really sure what they are or mean. I do know the wollies need to be horizontal and shouldn't wave too much.
I participated in a sail race a couple months back; it's been something I've wanted to do for some time now and finally got to it. During the Nelson summers, sail races take place every Wednesday, weather permitting. A co-worker invited me to join him on his boat. By 'his' boat I mean the boat he's been invited to sail on.
It all started with me hitting the grocery story to pick up some beers. Then over to the marina to board the boat and set sail. Not a big boat - 20 feet, maybe? Two of the crew were on the extremely experienced side so all seemed good to go.
We headed out into the Haven and zig zagged back and forth along the starting line for a good 15 minutes until the horn went off to start the race. Turns out our boat was much much slower than those we were competing against and we were way behind right away. I was told that this boat always finished last but because it was a scratch race we still had the opportunity for a high placing. Well I wasn't too concerned with that, I was just out for the fun. The skipper, on the other hand, was out to race and he took everything very seriously.
We headed out of the Haven to some choppy seas and made our way up along the Boulder Bank. By the time we turned around the wind had really died. The only positive was the wind direction allowed us to put up the spinnaker for the run back. I was in charge of keeping it positioned correctly to capture the breeze. Well the wind really died and we crawled our way back - I actually think the tide played a huge role in brinking us in.
Overall a great experience and I'll look to do a few more next year.
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Here we are leaving dock...slowly. Heading out for a 3 hour tour, a 3 hour tour. |
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A few ladies headed out for a row. Good thing you can't tell from the photo if they are passing us or we are passing them. |
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We're in the lead! Well technically the race hasn't started just yet. Getting the sails up and into starting position. |
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The setting sun colours the waterfront - as viewed from the entrance to the Haven. |
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And the race has ended, back to dock. Nope, I haven't fallen off and taken this photo while treading water - this is one of the competition. |
I confess. After the other night's 3News update, I now know who Justin Bieber is. Watch the video now please.
Even though I finally know after hearing his name non-stop for the last two weeks, I don't care. All Justin Bieber is to me is a knit hat-wearing bowl haircut dork of a dude from youtube who reminds me of my own mortality -- or to be less dramatic, he reminds me of the impending celebration of my 40th year on this planet next year.
Plus he's Canadian ... yes, I still hate Canada.
I really don't care what little screaming kiwi girls do, and who they scream for. And I'm sure little Canadian girls and little American girls are doing the very same thing. As the story points out, girls screamed for the Beatles, they screamed for Michael Jackson (not me, yes to Duran Duran), and now for Justin.
What I care more about is that he looks sooooooo weeeeee and the girls look so ridiculous and the screaming hurts my ears and that I find it so easy to make fun of these silly 16-year-old giggling morons that I'm starting to sound like an old fart. This is the way my parent's talked to me, and now, I'm them. I'm there. It's obnoxious. I'm getting old.
I'm not really bothered about turning 40 next year, it's just a number and I'm pleased with how the first 40 years have gone. What I am bothered by endlessly are annoying, loud, stupid teenagers! And especially when they are driving cars! I cheered when NZ just agreed to raise the driving age from 15 to 16 - WOO HOOOOO!!!
Only old people react that way to young people. At least that is what I said when I was young.
So, I have a year and then some to work on my attitude, to change in a way to feel young again. To be more accepting of people at all ages, and just laugh - ha ha, isn't it funny, aren't those adorable teenagers lively and vivacious, full of energy and spunk. Just precious.
Ah, f**k it. Who am I kidding. I never liked kids, I didn't like teenagers when I was a teenager, and I don't like them now, and I am definitely going to be the meanest old person ever!!
