"I looked in the rear view mirror and all I saw was 'gators" is a sentence I never imagined my girlfriend (or anyone, for that matter) uttering - but it's 2023 and anything is possible. Waitangi weekend saw my partner and I tenting at Rakahuri (Ashley Gorge). Our modest abode for the mutunga wiki She… Continue reading Inflatable Crocodiles, Dora-the-Exploring and an Angry Gust
Basically since forever ago I have had a strong affinity to New Zealand songstresses. For your listening pleasure, I have collated some absolutely stellar wāhine kaiwaiata kaitito/singer songwriters: many of whom have written music that has spoken deeply to my soul. As well as that, their music has seen me through puberty, teenhood, young adulthood… Continue reading Wāhine for your Music Rotation: Crushing on Kiwi Musicians
I have collated a very eclectic list of podcasts near and far: from lesbians discussing books and their film adaptations, to comediennes getting horny over filmstars, to French language learning for intermediate speakers, to whakaaro Māori, whakataukī and kīwaha, to humorous and insightful intersectional feminism discussions... let's go: 1. Boners of the Heart Comediennes Alice… Continue reading The Covid19 Diaries: Five Quality Podcasts to Quell Lockdown Boredom
This is my first of what I hope will be more bilingual posts to come! Shout out to my te reo Māori lecturer for the prompt of writing a letter for my grandchildren - I'm so down with that kaupapa. Whatever your level of reo, I hope you get something out of it, and I… Continue reading Navigating Pākehā Identity Part Two: Letter to My Grandchildren | Reta ki āku mokopuna
Purity culture within religion is problematic. Reflecting on my time as a Christian, this is one of the fundamental parts of it that still makes me angry, and its ghost still lingers. Today, I consider myself empowered, liberated and sex positive - yet I know I'm still affected by what I was taught by the… Continue reading Confronting Sexual Purity Culture
I'm all Coronavirused out, so I'm fully not going to talk about it - other than to say it has been a weird, chaotic and uncertain last few weeks, has it not? I hope everybody is staying safe, well, and being nice to their flatmates/family/partners during this stressful time. Sparing a thought for all the… Continue reading The Covid19 Diaries: Isolation Staycation?
Long time, no write. I have always been meaning to get around to writing a new blog post... but then I'd get stuck for ideas. I started writing again a few times, but my heart wasn't in it and I didn't want it to feel forced. But my goodness I just have to tell the… Continue reading Stop “Learning” Languages
In the last month, I have been employed (on a casual basis) at two, going on three, different jobs. I know, I'm insane. As if studying full-time wasn't enough already? I'm a serial over committer - help me? In all seriousness though, I have needed to get better at saying no: forty-four hours of work… Continue reading Working Hard, Hardly Working?
Wow. So it's been awhile. Long time no blog, lil' Abs. So, why not hit the ground running again with something personal and freeing, with just a touch of advocacy? Life is weird. I've recently been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), more specifically, the kind that used to be known as Asperger's. This has… Continue reading Aspergirl Gone Rogue
I had to share this piece from a wonderful fellow blogger based in Ōtautahi. It makes for heavy reading, but I at least feel a sense of solidarity and feeble hope that there are older generations out there who take the science seriously and want to help, inform and support others. https://realruth.wordpress.com/2026/08/18/climate-crisis-4/ Heat, Fires and… Continue reading I Can’t Pretend it Isn’t Happening
What’s a moment when you realized you were officially an adult? Daily Prompt 2855 Well now, I really just do what I like on this blog now don't I? The past year has been absolutely wild, jam-packed with life, and light on the writing. In the time since I last blogged, so many huge life… Continue reading Heatwaves, Hemispheres and Happenings
2025 is a wrap, and the last time I posted was Boxing Day 2024. What a jam-packed year it has been. Some general highlights and Big Things that Happened to Me: I moved back home(ish) after eight years in Christchurch - Very Momentous. My partner and I bought a house!? (The homeowner life feels simultaneously… Continue reading Baby’s First Overnight Tramp!
Daily writing promptWhat relationships have a positive impact on you?View all responses Meri Kirihimete, e te whānau, ā, ngā mihi o te tau hou Pākehā! I hope that you are all having an above average Christmas and holiday period in the lead up to the (Pākehā) New Year. Amidst the festivities, I have had the… Continue reading Raving Relationally & Endless Gratitude
Daily writing promptWhat are your feelings about eating meat?View all responses I knew this day would come. Activist Beginnings My feelings about eating meat? Not a fan, aye. I told my mum I wanted to stop eating meat when I was eight years old. Understandably, she didn't take me seriously initially, but after many meals… Continue reading A Vegetable Vigilante: My Childhood Protest
Hi, I'm still here! I have made numerous attempts to get back on the blog, but felt stuck on the perceived need to finish documenting my travels. Lots of stuff happens when you are traveling, and it is bloody hard to keep up, especially if you start to expect it of yourself. Way to suck… Continue reading Don’t Be a Language Stealer
Bonjour tous le monde, from a TGV (high-speed train). As I write this, I'm somewhere between Lyon and Zurich. As the third largest city in France, I did not know what to expect from Lyon. Already lucky enough to have visited Europe on two separate occasions, the only places in France I had been were Paris… Continue reading Je ne suis pas Lyonnaise… encore
What makes you feel nostalgic? Music from my childhood. Specifically, almost anything by Crowded House, Bic Runga’s Get Some Sleep, Goldenhorse’s Northern Lights, and Tim Finn’s Before & After album. Oh, and Fat Freddy’s Drop. https://youtu.be/ag8XcMG1EX4?si=00gH2zkpuLkrVDOm https://youtu.be/qzTUSR3fbfU?si=Ay7nHSie9A_lerOg https://youtu.be/2aDG82wZUHs?si=_1ur3a2-eaxs49Wo https://youtu.be/Y7QQS5V3cnI?si=TdXdcO9hMxVA9h2y Beautiful Collision If I’m speaking a different language, you’re missing out. These are just some of… Continue reading Childhood Nostalgia: 90s Tech Rewind
Daily writing promptDo you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?View all responses I think as humans we are naturally a playful species. I can only hope that as I continue to age I still play as shamelessly as I currently do. Funnily enough, my first question when planning my overseas birthday… Continue reading Unexpected Playtime Pleasures
Adulting at Legoland If you couldn't already tell, my partner and I are adult children. Birmingham's Legoland was her idea, and I was content enough to go along. During the day, it is typically a snotty, screechy, lego haven filled with mostly kindergartners to under 10s. However, once a month, they host adult-only 18+ evenings,… Continue reading Legoland, Supersonic Speeds and a Glorious Croissant
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