A holly, jolly Christmas

BIRDS AND I ARE NOT BOSOM BUDDIES - 

Just when I'd accepted that my Christmas weekend was to be wholly unremarkable, one of my loveliest friends swooped in and spared me from having to lone-wolf it! I was so happy to be in the company of her sweet fam as I joined them on Christmas Eve :) We couldn't get our Mr Snowman on with the summer sun in this Kiwi wonderland and we have the Southern Hemisphere to thank for that!

Little Leo was hesitantly unsure of me barrelling into his life and home initially after his nap, but it didn't take him long to warm up to me. Minogue Park (not named after pop princess Kylie!) was visited on an unexpectedly, beautiful afternoon. Apparently, I didn't excel at feeding the birds as the pukekos spurned my offer of fruit on the skewers I held (apart from the first who took a chunk immediately!) and I'm still mad at them for not accepting our thoughtful donations. One sneaky duckie nipped my finger snatching a slice of 'nana out of my hand. 

I THINK WE HAVE OURSELVES A PARTY - 

The little princes melted my heart as Leo nestled against the big brother that he idolises, on the flying saucer swing and then was all smiles when he whizzed down the big slide with him. What sweethearts! Don't be in such a hurry to grow up, boys!

After some yummy tucker for din dins, we had our obligatory bowl full of ice cream and a mug of hot choc and was captivated by Arthur's Christmas. It's not short on cheer and is one of those seasonal animated movies supposed to be for kids but is every bit as wonderfully entertaining to grown ups too. 

IT'S CHRISTMASSSSS! I'M IN NEW ZEALAND AND I'M SINGING - 

I was so grateful to spend the day with a family I love more than cookies, ice cream and hot chocolate! We had a mighty lovely time opening gifts from one another, eating too much off-the-charts-tasty food and swimming in jolly merriment. I'd forgotten how much I liked the festive flick Jingle All the Way even if it stars that fool of a philandering former Governor of California. 

Through no fault of anyone's, my Passionfruit Bundaberg sprayed up all over my new dress and the couch after I simply popped off the cap, without it being shaken at all (I was more concerned about sabotaging the sofa than my outfit). I am inept. This fizzy soda is sparkly, spirited and sexy and my love for this liquid refreshment is epic. 

HIGHLY TRAINED IN THE ART OF DOMINOES - 

B and me dweebed out on Disney dominoes; then knocked down elaborate patterns. It was a massive accomplishment as every single one toppled over when the starting block was flicked. Patience was required, for we caused its collapse accidentally several times. After getting the knack of the technique - it turned out to be another field in which I am vastly talented :D 

Of course I missed my fam, half a world away but I was consumed with Yuletide cheer nonetheless and there's nobody in New Zealand I'd have rather spent a gladsome Christmas with. Just hope that I wasn't too much of an imposition!

CALMING GARDENS - 

Visiting Hamilton Gardens con mi favoritos, made me so much more appreciative of the natural beauty that surrounds us. It compels me to be more green, prune, plant seeds and compost. Crazily, it began as a waste disposal site for the city but went on to become 2014's Garden of the Year. 

The Japanese Garden of Contemplation are a source of zen and a celebration of reverie, sharing its prettiness with all visitors. A piece of paradise was created in Charbagh Gardens with a rainbow of flowers, a smaller scale Taj Mahal and the pleasant waftings of floral perfume. 

I'M BECOMING GEEKY FOR GREENERY - 

A wee tot went pee pee in the pool of the Modernist garden as her mother stood beside and LET HER. *Not to judge but I am because there's no lack of clean toilets to use throughout* It is despicably gross, terrible parenting. At a secluded picnic bench within the Italian Renaissance Garden, we snacked on biscuits and apple. #Gardengoals It contains nature's delights, stately opulence and a dreamy centrepiece fountain. 

Having to say adios to my darlin's was hard :( after a load of laughs over the weekend but I refrained from tears. I'm sure we'll all be able to meet up again soon to make many more memories. I've never been so pleased to see a bus show up after it was an hour delayed due to technical difficulties. It was less than excellent having to wait and wait and wait at the stop with a skateboarding bozo bugging me ceaselessly. He found my hulking out hilarious, taking it to be impatience when really it was Rianney rage at being pestered. 

"ALL THE TIME WONDERING WHERE I NEED TO BE IS BEHIND ME. I'M ON MY OWN, TO WORLDS UNKNOWN" - 

Anyone who has not seen the fine, wholesome South Pacific motion picture that is Moana is missing all the cutesy fun. The CGI animation is so incredible that parts of the scenic backgrounds truly looked real at times. With songs so joyously catchy and impossible for anyone not to like them, you'll be humming them days after. We can forgive the exceptionally horrible crab sequence where a trippy, sparkly mutation morphed before our very eyes as everything else enchants. 

Can all the girlies now quit dressing up as Elsa from Frozen? Aspire to be like the independent spirit Moana instead; she's so awesome that she didn't need a love story. I relate to her wayfinding voyager heart and so felt a kinship to the character. It fulfilled my every Disney wish in one pretty Polynesian package and made up for having a BUMMER of a day prior to that. 

WE WOULDN'T LEAVE THE OLD YEAR BEHIND WITHOUT ICE CREAM - 

Like an old fart, I contemplated not doing a darned thing for NYE as the 'magic' of the final night of the year is gone for me. Since it will be the only one I'll spend on this half of the globe, I persuaded Hollie to come out with me (all our other friends were out of town).  

I never knew I was a tofu girl but after a short wait in line at Tokyo Club in Ponsonby  and a snappy waiter getting short with us (when we inquired if they do take out - NO!) I chowed through my teriyaki tofu, spicy ginger and grilled Asian veggies and very nice it was too. 

2 scoops of ice cream served up by Ben and Jerry's hardworkers brought joy to complete strangers. Twas such an appropriate way to celebrate the end of 2016 with 1 scoop of coconut 7 layer bar (coconut, chocolate flakes, walnuts and swirls of cookie and butterscotch - ALL THINGS I ENJOY!) it's an angel in ice cream form and the other was Jimmy Fallon's The Tonight Dough (caramel and chocolate ice cream with chocolate cookie swirls and gobs of choc chip cookie dough and peanut cookie dough) - this is worthy of a *mic drop and walk away*. There will be even MORE of me to love in 2017!!

WHERE WAS THE BIG DISPLAY OF DRAMA AND ENTHRALLMENT WE WERE PROMISED? -

Hundreds of lovers were surveyed in Tamaki (the Maori name for Auckland meaning 'with a hundred lovers') as we perused the city and were amused at some of the final activities engaged in. A band rocked out under the Sky Tower as the multitudes congregated in their devil horns. We mosied on down to the waterfront at Wynyard Quarter and wouldn't you know it, half the city had the exact same idea!

Illuminations reflected dazzlingly on the water, awesome music flowed out of the harbour cafes, while the Sky Tower was rainbowed and animated before the crowning countdown. The energy emitted from the crowd was electric; for this reason the atmosphere was buzzing as all sought to secure prime positioning. 

Boy, were the fireworks mediocre! Sydney unequivocally put us to shame but Auckland's paltry pyros were 5 months in the planning and undoubtedly an inordinately expensive undertaking. The sparkling explosions lasted a mere 5 minutes without any tunes blasted out; 2016 was bid adieu with a disappointing whimper. I made a show of myself when a camera was shoved right in our faces with a news reporter questioning 'how were the fireworks?' and I harked up too bluntly 'CRAP!' 

2017, I'M READY TO ROLL - 

Returning to our homes was INSANITY as nobody could move on the bridge. We were a PEOPLE jam, a sea of humans wanting to be home and I was fretting I'd be squished or trampled. The funniest part of the dawn of a new year was an Indian happy chappy on his lonesome who cracked me up as he wished all 'HAPPY NEW YEAR, HAPPY NEW YEAR, HAPPY NEW YEAR!' at warp speed in his thick accent over and over to every person he encountered. What would normally be a short 30 minute walk back to mine was practically double that, having to sidestep loved up couples in the middle of the pavement and the like. 

Bye bye, 2016 - you were a big bag of weird, wonderful and devastating! I wholeheartedly believe that all of our experiences, whether they be unforgettably extraordinary or overwhelming dreadful - make us who we are. 

This year, my only resolution is: TO BE THE BEST LITTLE PERSON I CAN BE. Moreover, I am wishing for love and peace to reign supreme all around the world xxx

I get to live here!!!

DATA ENTRY IS NOT WHAT GIVES ME THE GREATEST JOY IN LIFE - 

But a girl's gotta earn a crust .. at least for a month or so! I began temping with an agency and was allocated my first assignment, for a third party company that deals with claims and I am there to lodge the work accident claims. 

The next day, work wore me out to the extent that as I took my pizza out of the oven, after placing it on the side I steadied the BOILING baking tray with my bare right hand - instead of the oven-gloved leftie. OUCH!!! That was not all of my exhausted insanity, after running down to a corner store to top up my HOP card, I mistook my neighbour's home with my own and actually could have consequently been arrested for attempting to break and enter.. using my key in the lock of their front door.  No joke. 

I LOVE THIS NERDY ASTRONOMY STUFF - 

Life was cold and grey before I knew the Honeycomb Magnum; we were acquainted on my visit in the rain to Stardome for The Christmas Sky, a presenter-led show at the Planetarium. I was seated next to an obnoxious teen who spoke up to ask where the TROPICANA constellation is; she was confusing that with a brand of OJ. 

The show was focused on how the night sky would have looked back in 6BC and that the shining star the Wise Men saw (as explained in The Bible), was most likely 2 planets in alignment according to extensive research. This was followed up with a projection of how the Auckland evening sky currently was, with the constellations we may be able to spot like: Orion, Canis Major, Taurus etc, all of which are upside down in the Southern Hemisphere.

We were shown how to locate the Southern Cross and the brightest star in this part of the world - Alpha Centauri which is also the closest star to us at 4 lightyears away which we were told is in fact, alarmingly near. I was fascinated to learn of star clusters, in particular The Jewel Box which appears to me like a spectacular portal to an enchanted island. The Southern Cross contains some of the most effulgent, twinkling stars in the Milky Way Galaxy. 

The Santa laser show was like a psychedelic nightmare on acid but it was still one of the highlights of my week. It was magical to make believe we were flying like Rudolph on Santa's sleigh to deliver presents to the world's children. 

THERE IS BEAUTY TO BE FOUND EVERYWHERE YOU TURN - 

I think I've become an excellent walker whilst residing on this continent; stretching my legs out to Teal Gardens, where the water is indeed the truest teal throughout Mechanics Bay and the fresh air is purifying. At Fred Ambler lookout, I had a gem of a view out to the port and beyond; I could have sat on the bench for hours just chilling and observing. 

At Dove Myer Robinson Park, a stick pricked my big toe and pierced the skin so badly that it instantly bled profusely. Knowing that I am accident prone, I keep a stash of plasters to hand and was able to patch it up once I hobbled to a seat. Other than my TOEtally disagreeable calamity, I was happy to be in the gardens amongst some of Mother Nature's finest work in the magic land of fun that I'm hopelessly in love with. The fairy tree with immense limbs was itching to be climbed but my injury prevented this, so I simply stared with fascination at others who got to. 

Sitting by the 'dock' of the bay in the sun by Judges Bay (a manmade swimming hole sorta) culminated in sweltering as there was little shade for the pasty Brit. The most stunning country I've ever lived in was admired until a moron decided to leapfrog directly above my head. It freaked me out massively as I was convinced he'd kick me in the cranium!! I got straight up and left which made one of moron man's mates feel terrible 'Sorry about him. Oh she's leaving now. Name (MORON!), say sorry!' Moron didn't. The moron fool needs protecting from his very stupid, MORONIC self. N.B. Never before has moron or variations of it been used so many times in just one paragraph. 

FOLLOWING A TRAIL OF CHOCOLATE IS SURE TO LEAD TO A RIANNE MONTIGUE - 

I was snacky, so set out to do what makes me happiest: DESSERT. I found my happy place at Chocolate Boutique Cafe on a plate of black forest cheesecake with whipped cream and choccie gelato for one of my classic, solo sweetie dates. I contemplated asking the chef to marry me for it was INSANE BALLS, joyously so. This cute little place has a Stars Hollow look and feel about it; it will change my life.

THE PRETTIEST SIGHT BY NIGHT - 

Can be found down Franklin Road, in what is now a famed tradition running 19 consecutive years here. The residents of this suburb of Ponsonby illuminate their homes in the single most SPARKLY display of fairy lights I've seen down one street. My passion for twinkle lights was unbridled with this Christmassy spectacle and shall never dim. 

Home owners go all out jazzing up their homes; each keeping up with The Jones' in the glory! One house couldn't compete with the ridiculously unbelievable illuminations; instead decking their halls with a string of neon blue, phosphorescent wording of 'ditto' with an arrow to the home on the left *chuckle*. 

Didn't I love it? I salute all who participated and went to such extremes to amaze the crowds. The buskers added to the tidings of comfort and joy. I was particularly touched by a visually impaired, young girl using her cane to create a beat and keep time - her voice was beautifully impressive. 

APPARENTLY THE RAIN HAS A VENDETTA AGAINST HOLLIE AND I - 

While waiting to meet Hollie, I was accosted outside Britomart by a Big Mac gobbler chatterbox for close to half an hour on the astro grass! Eventuaaaaally when I was not giving him anything back, he went on his merry way to stake his next unsuspecting 'victim.' I'm a magnet for the friendly freakos, I tell thee. 

Before long, Hollie and I were cursing the weather as a gorgeous afternoon soured in the blink of an eye to a really rainy evening. We sucked it up for sometime as we ate from the food trucks and joked how whenever we meet up the elements conspire against us. The Taco Loco chicken taco was a DUD to my taste and cold within minutes. Another truck warmed me momentarily with a cone of chips with aioli sauce **which I STILL cannot pronounce*

The pine scent of the trees in the Christmas forest is still lingering up my nostrils. We took part in the kid's scavenger hunt to stay dry, while we were able to. It became abundantly clear that the outdoor movie - Home Alone (one of my alltime faves to see at this time of year) was a wash out and my once white, sodden flats can attest to that. There was no way we wished to sit on wet grass and become even more drenched - OUR evening would have been a whole lot jollier had it not deigned to show up. 

Retreating to Miann was an inspired idea, where I let the silky, rich, hazelnut praline, Valrhona hot chocolate have its wicked way with me. How can a girlie resist? ;) Although I'd already hit my sugar quota for the night, another pud proceeded to disappear down my gullet! This festive petit gateaux - a chocolatey affair with a lime centre, orangey top and a coconut coating at the bottom shall absolutely plump my butt. My figure is done for!!!